Скачать или смотреть What it means for the temperature of the planet as the Arctic ice cap melts

In the Arctic sea ice area has declined 13% per decade in the last four decades and according to geologist Dr. Pat Abbott that's over 50% loss of the arctic ice cap.

"The arctic is incredibly important to the temperature of the northern hemisphere in particular, far more so than is realized," explained Abbott.

Think of the Arctic as our air conditioner.

"You get this contrast of all this ice in the arctic and the heat at the equator drives a lot of the weather flow," continued Abbott.

That contrast is now less and the jet stream is wandering from its usual patterns because of the dramatic loss of sea ice.

"We have excellent satellite records from 1979 until present and when we're focusing on September when sea ice is at a minimum and during that 42 years it's down 50% of what it was," Abbott said. "We also melt it underneath by the warming ocean water, warming it underneath you are thawing the older thicker ice."