Chris Irvine
Last Updated: 12:01pm BST 17/09/2008
Arctic sea ice has melted at a slower rate compared to last year, but scientists warn it still shows a downward trend towards ice-free Arctic summers.
The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) says the ice covered 1.74 million sq miles at its lowest point on September 12.
Satellite image showing the state of Arctic sea ice on September 10th 2008
Last year's minimum was 1.6 million sq miles.This year's figures are nonetheless 33 per cent below the average summer ice cover in the Arctic since satellites began measuring it in 1979 and is less than 10 per cent above last year's all-time record low.
Temperatures have been lower in the Arctic this year than in 2007, largely because of La Nina conditions, which create a colder climate globally from their source in the Pacific.
Walt Meier, a research scientist at NSIDC, said: "I think this summer has been more remarkable than last year, in fact, because last year was had really optimal conditions to melt a lot of ice.
"We had clear skies with the Sun blazing down, we had warm temperatures, and winds that pushed the ice edge northwards.
"We didn't have any of this this year, and yet we still came within 10 per cent of the record; so people might be tempted to call it a recovery, but I don't think that's a good term, we're still on a downwards trend towards ice-free Arctic summers."
Last month NSIDC said that there was substantial ice melt in the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast in the East Siberian Seas near Russia's east coast, home to one of the world's largest polar bear populations.
Because polar bears use sea ice floes as platforms for hunting seals, they are forced to swim longer distance when the ice melts, making them more likely to tire and drown.
Dr Meier added that last seven years are among the seven lowest on record in terms of Arctic sea ice.
He said: "That's a real indication that this isn't any kind of temporary climate cycle.
"It's more an indication that we're heading toward the point where we're going to have that sea ice completely melt in the coming decades or perhaps sooner."
Last Updated: 12:01pm BST 17/09/2008
Arctic sea ice has melted at a slower rate compared to last year, but scientists warn it still shows a downward trend towards ice-free Arctic summers.
The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) says the ice covered 1.74 million sq miles at its lowest point on September 12.
Satellite image showing the state of Arctic sea ice on September 10th 2008
Last year's minimum was 1.6 million sq miles.This year's figures are nonetheless 33 per cent below the average summer ice cover in the Arctic since satellites began measuring it in 1979 and is less than 10 per cent above last year's all-time record low.
Temperatures have been lower in the Arctic this year than in 2007, largely because of La Nina conditions, which create a colder climate globally from their source in the Pacific.
Walt Meier, a research scientist at NSIDC, said: "I think this summer has been more remarkable than last year, in fact, because last year was had really optimal conditions to melt a lot of ice.
"We had clear skies with the Sun blazing down, we had warm temperatures, and winds that pushed the ice edge northwards.
"We didn't have any of this this year, and yet we still came within 10 per cent of the record; so people might be tempted to call it a recovery, but I don't think that's a good term, we're still on a downwards trend towards ice-free Arctic summers."
Last month NSIDC said that there was substantial ice melt in the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast in the East Siberian Seas near Russia's east coast, home to one of the world's largest polar bear populations.
Because polar bears use sea ice floes as platforms for hunting seals, they are forced to swim longer distance when the ice melts, making them more likely to tire and drown.
Dr Meier added that last seven years are among the seven lowest on record in terms of Arctic sea ice.
He said: "That's a real indication that this isn't any kind of temporary climate cycle.
"It's more an indication that we're heading toward the point where we're going to have that sea ice completely melt in the coming decades or perhaps sooner."
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