Climate2 min read
Climate
Satellite Image Shows Open Water Patches Just 37 Miles From the North Pole
A NASA satellite image from August 29 shows large patches of open water in Arctic sea ice close to the North Pole, though scientists say the sight is striking but not unprecedented.
A NASA satellite image showed large patches of open water just 37 miles (60 kilometers) from the North Pole on August 29, according to the NASA Worldview satellite photo browsing tool. The image was shared last week on the blog Arctic News.
Julienne Stroeve, a professor of polar observation and modeling at University College London, said the patches are "quite striking." She noted that it is not the first time water has encroached upon Arctic ice in this way.
The image does not necessarily mean Arctic ice is in worse condition this year than in the past few years, according to experts, though they say it reveals how severely climate change is affecting the region.
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#Arctic#sea ice#climate change#North Pole
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