The meltdown extends beyond the Arctic. Antarctica recently flirted with a record low in its own annual sea ice minimum – this while the Arctic hits an unprecedented winter low. As a result, Meier notes that global sea ice coverage in February dropped to a record minimum, signifying a broader, planet-wide shift.

One of the ocean currents in the Arctic Ocean is at risk of disappearing this century because of climate change, according to a new joint study from the University of Gothenburg and the German Alfred Wegener Institute.

The amount of springtime sea ice in the Arctic set a record low this month, continuing a trend of shrinking ice at the top of the world.