One more year, the Arctic could run out of ice

The latest satellite images revealed by NASA have shown a dreadful decline in the number of permafrost - the thickest and oldest ice - in the Arctic. However, the agency also said there is still a slight recovery of seasonal ice in the far north of the earth.

Last summer, the permafrost broke a record, allowing ships to cross the North-West Passage, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific.

Ted Maksy, a scientist from the US Naval Science Institute, said it was only a matter of time before the Arctic ended. " For the first time, as we fear, there will be no more thick and ancient ice in the Arctic, " he said.

"So if we had a warm year like last year, maybe for the first time in history, the Arctic would have no ice."

The permafrost, the oldest ice in the Arctic, has dissolved almost, leaving only the newly formed thin layers of ice, indicating that the earth has warmed up.(Photo: theage.com.au)