http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

Despite the near-average rate of decline in ice extent through the month, August 2014 ended up with the 7th lowest extent in the satellite record. It is 1.51 million square kilometers (583,000 square miles) above the record low for August 2012 and is also higher than August of 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013. The monthly linear rate of decline for August over the satellite record is now 10.3 percent per decade.

We’re rapidly approaching mid-September, the minimum in the Arctic ice extent, but it doesn’t look like we’ll break any records this year. Yes, this is a pretty ho-hum “7th lowest extent” August, but note that the lowest of the low was only two years ago, and all lower years occurred less than a decade ago. The 2014 minimum will still be well below the average minima for the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s.

http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/en/home/seaice_extent.htm

This graph, showing the ice curves for the last decade or so, illustrates that even this year’s relatively modest melt is still well within the trend for the new millennium.