RIA Novosti Reports That Summer Ice Will Vanish from the Arctic by Mid-21st Century

A few years ago, Russia's official press agency RIA Novosti carried articles reporting that the earth was about to go into a cooling phase; but lately, RIA Novosti is reporting information about global warming that is similar to the consensus views adoped by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The latest information on Arctic ice comes from a facinating site in Boulder, Colorado called the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

The always-entertaining Climate Crock of the Week also has a video titled Ice Area vs Volume.

RIA Novosti (7-20-10) reports:

The Arctic will have no ice during the summer by the mid-21st century, the head of the Russian Meteorological Centre said on Tuesday.

"In 30-40 years, the Arctic may have no ice in the summertime, including the North Pole," Alexander Frolov said, quoting data from an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

Frolov said levels of ice reduction in 2010 could exceed the record levels of 2007.

"The average level went long ago. [The previous] minimum was about 11 million square kilometers [of ice]. Currently satellites show around 10.8 million square kilometers," Frolov said.