The six lowest
seasonal minimum ice extents in the satellite record have all occurred in the last six years (2007 to 2012).
But «while the Arctic maximum is not as important as
the seasonal minimum, the long - term decline is a clear indicator of climate change,» Walt Meier, a sea ice researcher at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement.
This year, Arctic sea ice reached
its seasonal minimum on September 13; the 1.79 million square miles was the eighth lowest in the 38 - year satellite record according to preliminary data.
It looks like the Arctic sea ice is close to reaching
its seasonal minimum, reflecting a substantial increase in sea ice relative to the record breaking minimum in 2012.
In examining ice area — the extent weighted by concentration —
the seasonal minimum in 2008 was nearly identical to that of 2007.
Since reaching
its seasonal minimum on September 10 of 4.14 million square kilometers (1.60 million square miles), Arctic sea ice extent has increased at a rapid rate.