Arctic ice drops below a grim benchmark

Atop Earth, ice is vanishing. The National Snow and Ice Data Center announced Monday that Arctic sea ice, which has historically blanketed the expansive Arctic ocean, fell to its lowest extent for the year. Called the "Arctic sea ice minimum," the event occurs annually near the end of summer. 2020, however, met a grim benchmark. For only the second time in the satellite record, sea ice fell below 4 million square kilometers, or about 1.5 million square miles. Only 2012, which holds the record for the lowest ice extent, had less ice.  The diminished sea ice this year is part of a declining trend in the now 42-year Arctic satellite record. It's a consequence of a rapidly heating planet. Read more...More about Arctic, Global Warming, Climate Change, Science, and Climate Environment