After melting past the previous record minimum in late August, Arctic sea ice cap has continued its rapid decline.
By September 5, the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) said the ice cap had fallen below 4 million square kilometres β βa 45% reduction in the area of the Arctic covered by sea iceβ since the 1980s and β90s.
This yearβs melt βdidnβt just touch the record, it really drove right through itβ, the NSIDCβs Ted Scambos told US National Public Radio on September 12.