"If the situation evolves as physics predicts, the Arctic Ocean's summertime ice fields will completely disappear by 2080," said Eberhard Fahrbach of the Alfred Wegner Institute (AWI), a member of the European Arctic research body DAMOCLES.

At present, the polar ice cap's size varies according to the season, with parts melting and refreezing throughout the year. According to Fahrbach's prediction, there would be no permanently frozen areas in a matter of decades.

"That has consequences going much further than the Arctic," he added.

Climatic change threatens the polar bears of the region, for example, but also the entire food chain. "It also has an effect on the fish which ultimately end up on our tables," the scientist added.

The DAMOCLES programme (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies) is a European project aimed at monitoring and forecasting climate changes in the Arctic.