Arctic melting at alarming rate: Experts

Global warming is rapidly increasing over the Arctic and the region is experiencing twice as much temperature growth as in other parts of the world, experts said on Thursday.

"It's very difficult for animals and vegetation to adjust to the rapid temperature changes in the Arctic," Danish Polar Centre Director Hanne Petersen said at the first Climate and Cryosphere International Science Conference, which is being held at Beijing.

Glaciers and ice caps in the Arctic, about 400,000 square km wide, are found in an area that has experienced climate warming of one to two degrees Celsius over the past 50 years, said Martin Sharp from the University of Alberta in Canada.

"It is projected to warm by up to eight degrees Celsius in the next century," he added.

Sea ice, an indicator of climate changes, had declined by about three percent per decade since 1978. However, in recent years the rate has increased to nine percent per decade, reaching a record high in 2002.

According to Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, thinning Arctic sea ice will have dramatic impacts on the entire ecosystem.

About 500 experts from 15 countries finished the research after four years of study in November last year, Xinhua news agency said.