2016 Arctic Sea Ice Extent Already Second Lowest Ever

It's official - according to data posted by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), with as much as two more weeks of melt season remaining, the 2016 Arctic sea ice extent is already the second lowest extent ever recorded, dropping below the 2007 minimum extent. The amount of sea ice on September 9 was 4.137 million square kilometers. The previous second-lowest extent occurred on September 18, 2007 and was 4.154 million square kilometers. The good news is this year's minimum extent will not approach the all-time minimum of 3.387 million square kilometers set on September 17, 2012.

Source: NSIDC