In an alarming sign, scientists have warned that Arctic sea ice is dramatically melting at a faster rate than previously thought, which may accelerate the effects of global warming.

Preliminary results from the European Space Agency’s CryoSat-2 probe indicate that 900 cubic kilometers of summer sea ice has disappeared from the Arctic ocean over the past year. Sea ice in the Arctic is disappearing at a far greater rate than previously expected, according to data from the first purpose-built satellite launched to study the thickness of the Earth’s polar caps, the ‘Guardian’ reported.

This rate of loss is 50 per cent higher than most scenarios outlined by polar scientists. In a few years the Arctic ocean could be free of ice in summer, triggering a ‘gold rush’ to exploit its fish stocks, oil, minerals and sea routes.

The new measurements indicate that this ice has been thinning dramatically at the same time. The consequences of losing the Arctic’s ice coverage, even for only part of the year, could be profound. Ocean temperatures will rise and methane deposits on the ocean floor could melt, evaporate and bubble into the atmosphere. With the disappearance of sea ice around the shores of Greenland, its glaciers could melt faster and raise sea levels even more rapidly than at present.