Arctic permafrost thawing faster than ever, US climate study finds

• Sea ice also melting at fastest past in 1,500 years, US government scientists find
• 'The Arctic is a very different place than it was even a decade ago' - author

Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing faster than ever, according to a new US government report that also found Arctic seawater is warming and sea ice is melting at the fastest pace in 1,500 years.

The annual report released on Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed slightly less warming in many measurements than a record hot 2016. But scientists remain concerned because the far northern region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe and has reached a level of warming that's unprecedented in modern times.