Since 1979, ice has melted in the Arctic in an area equal to the territories of the states of Alaska and Texas combined, writes The New York Times.
American scientists note that in the current month the temperature in the Arctic was kept significantly above normal. The ice cover area has decreased by 28.5% compared to the annual average.
Scientists, analyzing the situation in the Arctic region, found that the activity of ice melting there has accelerated in recent years. In addition, algae began to actively multiply in the Arctic.
When analyzing satellite images of the Arctic obtained from 1997 to 2015, one can see that during this period the area of algae there increased by 47%. Arctic ice in some places has thinned so much that sunlight penetrates through it, and this contributes to the growth and reproduction of algae.
The changes that have occurred, scientists admit, may provoke a change in the migration routes of birds and whales. There could be a change in the food chain in the Arctic. And this will lead to the extinction of some Arctic species.
