Arctic sea ice is thinning faster than predicted. Arctic sea ice retreat underestimated Over the past thirty years, Arctic sea ice has shrunk four times faster, on average, than predicted by climate models. The researchers reached this conclusion by comparing the predictions of the models with satellite observations of the sea ice throughout that period. Their analysis shows that the bias was caused by the models’ poor The first flight of an IAGOS instrument package took place representation of the southward drift of the ice floe. By providing on a commercial Lufthansa flight. an improved assessment of this mechanism, the study predicts the disappearance of Arctic sea ice in summer well before the end of the Civil aviation lends a helping hand century. to climate research Journal of Geophysical Research September 2011 The European IAGOS project has taken a decisive step forward by obtaining aviation certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency to fly its instruments on board commercial Airbus A340 aircraft. With the help of a number of airlines (Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa...), this scientific project aims to set up a worldwide network of around 20 aircraft that will monitor atmospheric composition and the climate. The first IAGOS flight, from Frankfurt to Lagos with Lufthansa, took place successfully on July 8, 2011. 47 2011 A year at CNRS
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