Why in news ?

The ‘Last Ice Area’ (LIA), located in the Arctic’s Ice north of Greenland, has started melting earlier than what the scientists had expected.

About Last Ice Area:

• This region is located north of Greenland and Ellesmere Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
• This area was believed to be strong enough to withstand global warming.
  • The total disappearance of summer ice in the Arctic was estimated by the year 2040, however the ‘Last Ice Area’ was the exception.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Canada was believed to be the first to call this area the ‘Last Ice Area’.