Polar warming, hot time in the Arctic Ocean

This may the first time in history that the North Pole is open water, not ice. We've blogged about the disappearing ice cap on Greenland, and the opening of the northwest passage between the Atlantic and the Bering Sea, across the northern coastline of Canada and Alaska. Now come reports that North Polar ice is so thin it vanish entirely this summer.

Last summer was the ice cap melt around the North Pole was the fastest on record. This summer, so far, it is melting even faster. Care for a North Pole swim?

Current research is uncovering large number sof active underwater volancoes near the North Pole. The scientists say that is not what's melting the Arctic ice cap, but that volcanic action is pouring plenty of CO2 into the atmosphere and that's contributing to a warmer climate.