NEW YORK: Ice in Arctic seas shrank this summer to the sixth lowest level in 36 years of monitoring.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Monday that the ice reached its seasonal minimum on Sept. 17 of 1.94 million square miles (5 million square kilometers).
That's down a bit from 2013, but not near as low as the record-setting 2012. It is still 19 percent below average.
Scientists are concerned about the ice melting from man-made global warming because the melting may change the weather further south. Studies have linked the ice melting to changes in the jet stream, which can produce extreme weather.
Meanwhile, ice in Antarctic waters is hitting record high levels. Scientists attribute that to local climatic conditions.
