Arctic Sea Ice Extent Trending Below Record 2007 Melt

The annual melting of Arctic sea ice is trending toward another record-low.

While it’s still too early to say whether the 2009 melt will exceed the record 2007 melt — the annual low-point isn’t reached until September — the trend line for 2009 for the first time has dipped below 2007, according to the latest data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

…The amount of ice in the Arctic as of February 2009 — the height of the annual freeze — was the lowest on record. Most arctic scientists now say they expect an ice-free Arctic in summer within the next three decades — far ahead of the projections in the last comprehensive United Nations report on global warming.

Daily Green