The sea ice layer of the Arctic Ocean is now mainly composed of younger and thinner ice

New research published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has indicated that the sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean is now mostly composed of younger, slimmer ice.

The research was led by scientist Ron Kwok, who claims that this has changed since 1958, when the ice of the Arctic Ocean was mainly older and thicker.

Kwok revealed that with the little old and thick ice, the rate of decrease in ice thickness has slowed down. As a result, new ice grows faster but is more vulnerable to weather and wind, so its thickness has become more variable.

To uncover the data, Kwok worked with a combination of satellite recordings and declassified underwater sonar data, which allowed him to build a 60-year record of the thickness of sea ice in the Arctic.

Currently, the Arctic pack ice is the youngest and finest since we started keeping records, said NASA, with over 70% of the now seasonal Arctic sea ice, which means that it is growing in winter and summer background, but does not last from year to year.

This seasonal ice melts faster and breaks more easily, making it much more vulnerable to wind and weather conditions.

Kwok's research has revealed that since 1958, Arctic ice cover has lost about two-thirds of its thickness, which is the average for the entire Arctic at the end of l & # 39; summer. The old ice has shrunk by nearly 800,000 square miles. Today, 70% of the ice cover consists of seasonal ice that forms and melts in a single year.

This increase in seasonal ice also means record changes in ice cover, noted Kwok. He added that there has not been a new record low sea ice since 2012, despite years of warm weather in the Arctic.

"We have lost so much thick ice that the thickness changes are going to be slower because of the different behavior of this type of ice," said Kwok Saud.

The news follows a report released earlier this week that pack ice would have reached its lowest level in 2018, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Analysis of satellite data by the NSIDC and NASA showed that with 1.77 million square miles, 2018 was effectively tied with 2008 and 2010 for the sixth lowest summer minimum extent of the year. satellite recording.

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