As of yesterday, 3 Sep ’16, there was less sea ice extent over the Arctic Ocean than on any other date of any other year since we began making satellite observations in 1979. The only exception was the extraordinary year of 2012, where a perfect storm of meteorological conditions helped shatter all low ice records, before or since.

3 Sep
2016…..4.05 million km^2 (2nd place)
2012…..3.45 (lowest)
2015…..4.37 3rd place
2007…..4.38 4th place

(By the Japanese Space Agency reckoning).

https://ads.nipr.ac.jp/vishop/#/extent

But what is really scary is that yesterdays extent will drop further still, the low ice minimum is in the middle of September! We have almost two weeks to go before this curve bottoms out.

15 Sep (Summer minimum)
2012…..3.18 million km^2 (lowest)
2007…..4.07 2nd place
2015…..4.36 3rd place

Except for 2012, Arctic sea ice extent has never been lower on any date of any year than it is today. Although it is unlikely the 2016 extent will dip below the 2012 15 Sep low of 3.18 M km^2, it has already trashed every other milestone since we’ve been making satellite observations. At this rate, its only a matter of time before the summer ice dips below the 2012 level.

It looks like we’re in uncharted territory.