Russian scientists have abandoned their polar research base after the ice it was floating on started melting faster than expected.

“The 20 polar researchers and their two dogs climbed on board the [research icebreaker] ‘Mikhail Somov’. All scientific programmes at the station have been stopped,” says Sergei Bolyasnikov, a spokesman for Russia’s Arctic and Antarctic Institute (AFP).

The research base was set up in September on a five kilometre by three kilometre ice floe which averaged 1.5 thick (RIA Novosti). By the time the scientists abandoned base on Sunday it was just 600 metres by 300 metres (BBC).

“The evacuation is ahead of schedule because of global warming,” says Balyasnikov (AP).

Of course attributing any one event to climate change is scientifically problematic. A similar early exit from the Arctic took place in 2004 (Nature).

That said, this year’s Arctic melt started early than usual and there’s a bit of a trend for less Arctic ice, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. We’ll have more about this in Nature later this week.

“June sea ice extent is very similar to last year and is now the third lowest on record,” says the latest update from the centre. “It lies very close to the linear trend line for all average June sea ice extents since 1979, which indicates that the Arctic is losing an average of 41,000 square kilometers (15,800 square miles) of ice per year in June.”

Back in August Nature’s Quirin Schiermeier spoke to one of the scientists working on the station.

(Those unhappy with this post’s title are advised to brush up on their pwnage)

Image: Sea ice extent on 12/07/08 / National Snow and Ice Data Center [click for full image]