The planet's northernmost ocean could experience its first day free of ice as early as 2027, a new study has found.

While the three-year possibility remains extreme, the study authors determined that this first pivotal day could occur within nine to 20 years after 2023, regardless of how humans alter their greenhouse gas emissions.

Such a time, defined as the first day on which nearly all of the Arctic's sea ice melts, would mark "an ominous milestone for the planet," according to the authors, who published their findings on Tuesday in Nature Communications.

“The first ice-free day in the Arctic won’t change things dramatically,” co-author........

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