Arctic sea ice at the crossroads: National Snow and Ice Center

Arctic sea ice extent on Aug. 14 was 5.56 million square kilometres, about 200,000 sq km more than on the same date in 2007 when summer ice cover hit a record low. The orange line shows the 1979 to 2000 median extent for that day. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole. (NSIDC)

After a period of slow melt from late July through early August, “Arctic ice extent is again declining at a brisk pace,” but remains higher than for 2007, the record low year, the National Snow and Ice Center said Aug. 16.

Information gathered by its scientists and satellites show ice continues to thin.

With about a month left in the sea ice melt season, the amount of further ice loss will depend mostly on weather patterns, the Colorado-based NSIDC said.

As of Aug. 14, Arctic sea ice still covered 5.56 million square kilometres, 2.11 million square km less than the 1979 to 2000 average for that day, and 220,000 sq km more than the Arctic ice coverage on that day in 2007.

Sea ice is low across almost all of the Arctic, with the exception of some areas of the East Greenland Sea — just as the NSIDC said it was earlier this month.

The southern route of the Northwest Passage, now appears to be free of sea ice, but there may be up to 20 per cent ice concentration remaining in some parts of the passage, the NSIDC said.