Noted sea ice geophysicist and climatologist Professor John Yackel from the University of Calgary has delivered a bombshell: He recently declared after the latest Arctic ice melt that, ‘This is the smallest minimum ice extent we’ve ever had, and not just in the satellite record, but probably in the last million years.’

Although satellite records only go back to 1979, there has been a disturbing trend in the Arctic region: Satellite imagery is showing that the Arctic ice region is melting at an alarming rate, far faster than even climatologists expected.

This is further bad news for the planet as extreme weather events have already caused over 55 billion dollars of damage in the U.S. alone this year. Record drought conditions, record wildfires and storms along with hurricanes are not only making an impact in the U.S., but around the world.

The depleting Arctic ice cover will have serious ramifications for the planet. Arctic ice acts as a reflector of sunlight, helping regulate the Earth’s temperature, cooling the climate. Further ice melting in the Arctic will only exacerbate the warming process and cause even more severe weather around the world.

‘When there’s no longer that sea ice below the air mass and it’s just […]