Green Daily

The polar bears aren't rejoicing just yet. Even though the latest NASA satellite survey of Arctic sea ice indicates that colder weather in some regions has led to greater ice coverage, researchers say it's too early to call it good news.

Based on the report released this week, while the winter sea ice has expanded in some areas, the perennial ice which remains frozen season after season continues to decrease. The perennial ice, which survives the relative heat of summer and is a better long-term indicator of climate stability, has declined from 50-60% coverage a few years ago and 40% last year to just 30% this year. In contrast, although the expansion of the seasonal ice is a positive sign, it's much thinner and hence typically disappears during the summer melting season. Moreover, even the perennial ice, like each year's crop of Hollywood starlets, is younger and thinner than it has been in the past.

NASA scientists will be watching with interest to see what happens to the perennial ice in the Arctic this summer. Will it continue its record decline or start to make a comeback? Stay tuned...