On a promising note, polar scientists report that the annual summer retreat of sea ice is markedly less than the previous summer. And while seafarers celebrated the brief opening of the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route, the remaining Arctic Ice this summer was still 33% less than the average amount tracked since 1979, and continues the trend towards an ice-free Arctic.

takepart and keep track of the Arctic Ice with the National Snow and Ice Data Center

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(Photo: National Snow and Ice Data Center)