Arctic sea ice reached a record winter low this year — the latest mark in a season that has left scientists gape-mouthed in amazement.
"I’ve never seen such a warm, crazy winter in the Arctic,” said an email from Mark Serreze, director of the U.S.-based National Snow and Ice Data Center. "The heat was relentless."
Serreze's group declared Monday that the maximum extent of sea ice before it begins its spring melt was 20,000 square kilometres less this winter than it has ever been since satellite monitoring began. The record had been set only last year.