Arctic sea ice has plummeted to near-record lows, creating potentially severe threats to how millions of people live, eat, and survive on our rapidly changing planet. 

What's happening?

Satellite observations have revealed that sea ice in the Arctic is once again hovering near record lows for this time of year, underscoring a troubling, persistent trend, according to recent data from the European Space Agency. 

As ice disappears, dark ocean water absorbs more heat, accelerating further melting. The amount of sea ice that survives the Arctic summer has declined by 13% per decade since the satellite records began in 1979. 

Anna Maria Trofaier, an ESA scientist studying the crisis, explained that researchers are developing the longest consistent time series of sea ice thickness data, ranging from today's missions back to the mid-1990s. 

"Sea ice is getting thinner, sparser, and more vulnerable, but there is yet more to learn," she said. "To better capture the complexity of the processes that have led to the current state of sea ice, we also need to look at the lifetime of the ice parcels."

Why is Arctic ice loss important?

Melting ice in the Arctic threatens communities worldwide. Polar vortices, heat waves, and unpredictable weather caused by ice loss are already causing significant damage to crops, harming global food systems. Changing ice conditions have also increased the time and cost of harvesting in Arctic communities, which often rely on traditional hunting. 

Violent storms — which have been linked to increasing sea ice retreat — can collapse coastlines and other infrastructure. Average annual erosion rates have doubled from historic levels of around twenty feet per year (between the mid-1950s and late-1970s) to 45 feet per year between 2002 and 2007 along Alaska's coast. 

Furthermore, increasing global temperatures are opening new pathways for the spread of infectious diseases like tularemia and E. coli. Microbes awakened from their deep freeze in melting ice also begin consuming organic matter, which can produce gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. 

What's being done about Arctic ice loss?

Scientists are developing advanced monitoring systems to better understand (and track) the crisis. ESA is preparing to launch the CRISTAL mission in 2027, which will carry the first dual-frequency radar altimeter designed to measure and monitor sea ice thickness. 

ESA's Climate Change Initiative Sea Ice Project is also releasing new datasets that provide crucial support for long-term monitoring and policy-making. Assembly of their first satellite, CRISTAL-A, is underway in Germany. 

On the local level, you can help by switching to cleaner energy sources at home and on the road. Actions big and small help reduce the environmental pressures driving our global crisis, helping to make your home and neighborhood more eco-friendly and more resilient against the impacts of Arctic ice loss and an overheating planet. 

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