Arctic Ice Retreated A Million Miles In 2007

[DudeAsInCool]

The NY Times notes that "The cap of floating sea ice on the Arctic Ocean, which retreats under summer’s warmth, this year shrank more than one million square miles — or six Californias — below the average minimum area reached in recent decades, scientists reported Thursday.

A satellite image from last Saturday shows shrinking ice opening Canada’s Northwest Passage. Scientists said on Thursday that this year’s ice retreat was probably unmatched in the 20th century.

The minimum ice area for this year, 1.59 million square miles, appeared to be reached Sunday. The ice is now spreading again under the influence of the deep Arctic chill that settles in as the sun drops below the horizon at the North Pole for six months, starting Friday."

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