UW climatologist says sea ice likely to continue shrinking

UW climatologist says sea ice likely to continue shrinking

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Story Published: Feb 12, 2008 at 9:54 AM PDT

Story Updated: Feb 12, 2008 at 9:54 AM PDT

By Scott Sistek

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A University of Washington climatologist says Arctic sea ice next summer may shrink to an amount even smaller than last year's record-setting low area.

Ignatius Rigor spoke Monday at the Alaska Forum on the Environment.

Rigor says global warming combined with natural cyclical changes likely will continue to push ice into the North Atlantic Ocean.

He says the last remnants of thick, old sea ice are dispersing and weather cycles that contributed to the loss of are continuing.

Rigor says new ice is not like the older, thicker sea ice that once covered the region in winter.

In 1989, 80 percent of the ice in the Arctic was at least 10 years old and today, only about 3 percent of the ice is that old.

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