This claim has been supported by the results of the studies by scientists over the spring: taking measurements across a 280-mile (450km) long stretch along the Beaufort Sea. Their conclusions were that the ice found was mostly young and thin. Peter Wadhams, a sea-ice expert based at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, has stated that, given that a larger part of the region is currently first-year ice, it is easy to see that it is more vulnerable.

NASA has indicated that the Arctic Ocean’s ice cover of last spring showed a thickness of 6 feet, or 1 .8m; it was only roughly a year old. Meanwhile, more durable ice of multiple years of age has been measured to be about 9 feet (3m) thick. Experts remind us that the relative thinness shows the Arctic Sea’s poor health. Furthermore, they have also pointed out that wind and occasion currents assist in the breaking up of thinner ice; thus even more surface of ice gets exposed to warmer water. Winds and currents can push ice that is free floating southwards into warmer waters.

But even the experts only agree to a certain extent. Some data suggests that there will be no ice in the Arctic during the summer, within about 2 decades; while some claim that this date will be as late as 2100. Such wild-sounding guesses are said to be due to the natural variability in the system.

Experts remember the record year low being as early as in 2007, where the summer manifested a perfect storm of climactic conditions – warm temperatures in conjunction with wind patterns which simply broke of large chunks of ice apart before pushing them out of the Arctic. The Arctic ice recovered to a certain extent during the summers of 2008 and 2009. But what will happen in the future remains uncertain. Will it be slow and steady or will there be another 2007 soon?