LONDON – A team of British explorers says that within a decade the North Pole will be virtually ice-free during the summer.
The Catlin Arctic Survey trekked an average of about 11 kilometers (six miles) per day and swam in freezing water to take measurements of the ice and snow.
Measurements during the three month research project showed that most of the ice is first year ice that measures about 1.8 meters (six feet) thick. Peter Wadhams with the University of Cambridge said Wednesday the ice is too thin to survive next summer’s ice melt.
The results come ahead of the UN climate Summit in Copenhagen this December.
