Explorers Aim to Discover How Long Arctic Ice Will Last

Pen Hadow, a noted polar explorer, will lead an expedition to the North Pole to take some of the most precise measurements of ice thickness ever recorded. They will brave temperatures approaching minus-60 degrees as they use ground-penetrating radar to record the thickness of the ice about every eight inches along the 1,200-mile route from Alaska to the North Pole, according to the Scotsman.

Most data about Arctic ice comes from satellite measurements, and those measurements revealed startling changes this year. Sea ice retreated far farther than ever before, opening the fabled Northwest Passage for the first time in history. The thickness of ice also shrunk to record low levels, according to various satellite readings.

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