Even after the cold winter, the ice in the Arctic Sea is melting at a faster rate than the previous year. In the beginning of 2008, ice covered a larger area in comparison to the same time last year. However, this summer has broken records for sea ice loss.

What some scientists have been reasoning is that large components of the ice are very thin, making them melt easily. A future possibility that is worrisome is that the Arctic, in five to ten years, may very well become ice-free in the summers.