The signs of global warming reflect the most in the Arctic ice sheet that has been declining at accelerated rates for the past five years. Scientists attending the Fall American Geophysics Union (AGU) conference on Tuesday revealed that the predicted amplification of Arctic warming caused by the decreasing sea ice has already begun.

NASA observations showed that Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have lost approximately 2 trillion tons of ice since 2003, an affirmation clearly supported by satellite imagery made by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission.

The minimum Arctic sea ice extent went as low as 4.52 sq km (1.74 sq miles) in the week of September 12, the second lowest extend recorded since 1979, according to researchers.

The satellite images showing a worrying evolution of the ice in the past five years suggest a more accelerated global warming process than it had been suggested before. Furthermore, as NASA geophysicist Scott Luthcke pointed out, it takes only a few extra degrees in temperature for the amount of ice loss to increase, causing the sea level to rise, but also causing changes in ocean current.

Even though this year’s complete figures, which are yet to be released, are not as severe as those in 2007, there should be no doubt that we are at a turning point. The more Arctic ice gets lost due to global warming, the more serious the consequences on our lives will be.

Scientists found that the predicted amplification of the warming phenomenon in this region caused by decreasing ice has already begun.

Global warming is ultimately a chain-reaction that may not affect us immediately, but on a long-term, the effects will be sure to appear. As we know, sea ice has an important role in moderating global climate. The consequences of these changes vary from agriculture disasters, to degrading land resources, biodiversity, water resources, and ultimately, the entire economy.

NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center have constantly warned throughout this past year alone about the worrying trend of the melting ice in the Arctic region. NASA warned that we must make a clear distinction between short-term effects, which revealed an improvement in ice level, but not as a lasting phenomenon, and the long-term effects of temperatures rising, which contribute to an Arctic meltdown.

The dramatic changes in Arctic sea ice extent have determined scientists to make predictions that the Arctic will turn into a pool within the next half a century. Some, such as British explorer Gordon Pugh, suggested that this could happen within the next 10 years, while others, such as Julienne Stroeve, from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, suggested 20 years.

NASA said earlier this year that the perennial ice that used to cover 50-60 percent of the Arctic region now only covers 30 percent, and that the oldest sheet of ice that used to cover 20 percent of the Arctic and lasted to 6 years now only covers 6 percent.