The study, published Monday, March 4 in the journal Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, found that by 2040 ships should be able to travel straight through the North Pole in September, without having to worry about getting trapped in sea ice.

Currently, these areas are permanently shrouded in ice. Using climate model predictions and the historic lows the Arctic has been experiencing in the summers.

On Aug. 26 this year, the Arctic sea ice reached the lowest levels ever seen, and kept melting. Some other researchers have suggested that the sea ice could be gone within four years.