Scientists in the US have presented one of the most dramatic forecasts yet for the disappearance of Arctic sea ice. Their latest modelling studies indicate northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within just 5-6 years.

Check out this article on BBC today: "Arctic summers ice-free by 2013"

The long-term average minimum polar sea ice cover, based on data from 1979 to 2000, is 6.74 million square km. In comparison, 2007 was lower by 2.61 million square km, an area approximately equal to the size of Alaska and Texas combined, or the size of 10 United Kingdoms.

This can, in the short term, mean that more ice will be in the Denmark Strait (between Iceland and Greenland) in certains periods of the year as more ice is breaking up in the Polar sea and drifting down along the east Greenland coast.