Source: NPR
Arctic sea ice loss is in part a result of natural environmental causes, according to a new analysis published in the journal Natural Climate Change.
In collaboration with other universities, researchers from UCSB studied circulation over Greenland and the Arctic Ocean and discovered natural decadal cycles for Arctic sea ice melting.
The report says that about 30 to 50 percent of Arctic ice melting is due to natural environmental cycles.
The rest of the ice melting is, without a doubt, human-caused, the report noted.
Up until now, it has been difficult for scientists and researchers to pinpoint exactly how much was natural or human-caused.
NPR reported that “the authors [of the study] also note that the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could influence this natural variation in circulation.” Humans therefore might continue to be the primary cause of Arctic sea ice loss.
Read full story at: NPR