Recent generations of polar bears have been observed moving higher into the Canadian Arctic in response to climate change and the melting of Arctic sea ice. Using DNA samples, U.S. Geological Survey researchers found that some clusters of polar bear populations have migrated over the past 15 to 45 years to islands off the Canadian Archipelago, where sea ice is more stable. Lead researcher Elizabeth Peacock says the bears have chosen those areas because they are " where the sea is more resilient to summer melt due to circulation patterns, complex geography and cooler northern latitudes." She and colleagues conclude that the regions closest to the North Pole could serve as a last refuge for the bears, which need the ice to travel, forage and mate. Arctic sea ice has declined in autumn by more than 9 PERCENT PER DECADE since 1979. Climate models predict that even the northernmost parts of the Arctic will BE ICE FREE BEFORE 2050.
Earthweek / Steve Newman
January 17, 2015 The Plain Dealer A2
" Arctic Time is Melting Away by 2050. That's only 35 more years." -D.B. Clay
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