The level of sea ice in the Arctic is continuing to drop significantly this year, with last month's measurements reaching an all-time low.
The latest figures from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) show that the average sea ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean in May was only 4.63 million square miles. This was more than half a million square kilometers below the previous low for May 2004 and well below average measurements for the month.
If this trend continues, it is likely that the Arctic would receive the lowest amount of sea ice it has ever had during the peak of melt season in September. The region previously had its lowest sea ice average in 2012.
According to the NSIDC, the daily extent of sea ice levels in May were two to four weeks ahead of those observed in 2012, which are considered to be the lowest September extent on record. Last month, the monthly extent average reached levels that were roughly 386,000 square miles below those seen in May 2012.
Measurements of Arctic sea ice for May this year are comparable to those taken in June 2012, which is a record-setting year. This means that the ice is in a particularly vulnerable state as we enter the warmer months of 2016.
While the NSIDC considers the latest figures for May as "tentative," as there were some issues with the satellites that researchers used to monitor the Arctic, the agency said the measurements are also supported by other sources of data.
The NSIDC also released an image taken by NASA that shows the status of sea ice located in the Beaufort Sea near the North Pole. The ice field in the area appears to be significantly broken up, with much of the sea ice separated from the coast by a large gap of water.
Climate events, such as El Niño, may have played a key role in the reduction of sea ice levels this year. The phenomenon has already produced drastic changes in weather patterns such as the heat wave in December that caused the North Pole to experience above-freezing temperatures.
However, recent evidence suggests that the Arctic is indeed warming at a much faster rate compared to the rest of Earth and that the region will continue to lose valuable sea ice levels.
"All we can say is that we are on a very bad footing," Mark Serreze, NSIDC director, said.
"However, this is also part and parcel of a longer trend ... we've always known that the Arctic would be the place most sensitive to climate change, and that's what we're seeing."
