Last month, Arctic sea ice reached its second-lowest extent and the largest ice melt on record for the month of June since 1979. At 4.24 million square miles, the ice cap over the northern tip of the planet was nearly 10 percent below the average extent, according to satellite measurements.

Arctic sea ice, which plays an important role in global climate, grows and shrinks in an annual cycle, reaching its annual minimum every September before building back up to cover the ocean during the winter months.

An unusually low extent early in summer, as happened in June, does not portend a record low in September. A number of factors, including winds and the cloud cover, influence the rate of melt over the summer, so it's not possible to predict how much ice will remain at the low in September, Walt Meier, a research scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), which tracks the ice, told LiveScience in June. (Source: livescience.com)

Story Date: July 23, 2012