Arctic sea ice extent has dropped to a seasonal low and the sixth lowest level since the beginning of its 35-year satellite record, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre.
The ice extent is about 5 million square kilometres, and despite being above the level observed the same time last year, long term trends are predicting a seasonally ice free Arctic Ocean by the middle of the century
Anthropogenic climate change and natural variability are resulting in the long-term decline in sea ice cover and thickness, with the Arctic warming nearly twice as fast as the rest of the globe.
Read more at National Snow and Ice Data Centre