Arctic sea ice at lowest level ever this winter

Arctic sea ice reached its lowest level ever recorded, statistically tying last year's record, US climate observatory for this specific region said on Thursday. It is the lowest level observed in 48 years of satellite monitoring while previous records were set in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Unlike land-based ice such as glaciers or ice sheets, melting sea ice doesn’t directly raise sea levels. But it does cause wide-ranging climate impacts that threaten ecosystems because many species including polar bearsemperor penguinsrely on sea ice to breed and feed.