Arctic sea ice ‘thinning up to twice as fast as previously thought’

Scientists say Arctic sea ice in coastal regions may be thinning up to twice as fast as previously thought (Alfred-Wegener-Institut/PA)

Arctic sea ice, which is frozen seawater floating on the ocean surface, may be thinning in coastal regions up to twice as fast as previously thought, scientists believe.

The findings, published in the journal Cryosphere, raise fresh concerns that some parts of the Arctic could become ice-free by 2040, with potentially devastating consequences.