Sea ice melt near Greenland can affect ice on the island in a couple ways. As sea ice retreats from the fronts of marine-terminating glaciers, the glaciers lose stability and may flow faster. In...

Satellites have continuously monitored Earth’s polar regions since November 1978. Over that period, Arctic sea ice has declined. Compared to the 1981 to 2010 average, sea ice extent has declined...

A tipping point is a critical threshold where an incremental change could push a system over the edge to a new state. Two types of tipping points exist. One involves a rapid transition, like what...

Bright white sea ice reflects light and keeps the Arctic cool. Soot darkens the ice surface and can speed melt...

Despite year-to-year variability, Arctic sea ice has steadily dropped during all seasons since the start of the satellite record in 1979. However, the changes are especially pronounced around the...