Research Predicts Arctic Sea Ice May Disappear in 2030s; Professor Min Seung-gi Wins Korea Science Award in February
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Min Seung-gi, a professor of environmental engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology), was named February recipient of the Korea Science and Technology Person Award for presenting a new climate forecast that suggests Arctic sea ice could vanish more than a decade earlier than previous estimates. Using 41 years of satellite observations and 10 climate model experiments, Min separated the effects of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and natural forcings with multiple linear regression and found greenhouse gas increases are the dominant driver of sea-ice loss. By calibrating model projections with the observed greenhouse gas signal (radiative forcing), his adjusted forecasts show the Arctic could be seasonally ice-free as early as the 2030s, and even under low-emission scenarios the ice could disappear by the 2050s. Min is a lead author of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and a member of the international climate-change detection group (IDAG); his findings were published in Nature Communications. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it will continue supporting research ecosystems and rewarding top scientists to address global climate risks and improve quality of life.
