Arctic sea ice extent hits record low for winter maximum
by The Daily Eye Team March 23 2015, 2:10 pm Estimated Reading Time: 0 mins, 39 secsRecord low ice coverage this winter is caused by climate change and abnormally mild weather, scientists say Arctic sea ice has hit a record low for its maximum extent in winter, which scientists said was a result of climate change and abnormal weather patterns. The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) said on Thursday that at its peak the ice covered just over 14.5m sq km of the northern seas. This was 130,000 sq km smaller than the previous lowest maximum in 2011. The peak occurred on 25 February, which the NSIDC?s senior research scientist Ted Scambos said was ?very early but not unprecedented?. Climate change is driving declining ice coverage in the Arctic, with a recent study finding it has also become significantly thinner, down 65% since 1975.