Fading of the Northern White

One of the problems of using satellite images in attempts to assess ice melting, is snow cover. A modelling study from University College of London used new measures (2002-2018) of Arctic snow cover, to estimate the speed of that area's warming (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/arctic-sea-ice-thinning-twice-as-fast-as-thought-study-finds). The study suggests that Arctic ice is melting twice as quickly as was previously thought. This is all part of a vicious cycle. Less ice means less solar radiation is reflected back into space. This means the planet heats up even more quickly, melting more ice. This makes the NE passages between China and Europe easier to navigate. More shipping means even more climate-changing emissions are generated. Increasing ice melt means easier access to Arctic oil and gas reserves. Buring those reserves increass the speed of climate change etc. We might even get to a situation with virtually no Arctic ice, if we don't stop the vicious cycle.