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The Northwest Passage is about to be ice-free for the second year in the row, as seen on satellite images released today by the European Space Agency. The less direct Amundsen Northwest Passage has already been passable for about a month.
Last September scientists were very concerned when the Arctic ice pack shrunk to its smallest size since satellite measurements began almost 30 years ago. This year the ice has already claimed the title of second smallest ice pack with three weeks of its melting season left to go.
Usually at this point in the season he melting rate would begin to slow, said Mark Serreze of the National Snow and Data Center in Boulder Colorado. Instead it sped up.
