Providing more data on how climate change is impacting the Arctic, the maximum extent of sea ice this year was tied with 2006 for the lowest on record. Maximum sea ice simply means the territory the sea ice covers at its greatest point before the seasonal melt begins.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the maximum extent of sea ice hit 5.65 million square miles (14.64 million square kilometers) this month before beginning its retreat. This is nearly half a million square miles (1.2 million square kilometers) below the average sea ice extent from 1979 to 2000. The result is not a surprise: sea ice extents have been dramatically low all season.
Researchers say that it is still possible that the sea ice could rebound some before the month is out. However, as of March 22nd, sea ice had been in decline for 5 days straight a likely indicator that the full extent had been reached.
Average temperatures in the Arctic are rising around twice as fast as global temperatures, making the region especially sensitive to climate change.
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