The Arctic hasn't been this warm for 3 million years – and that foreshadows big changes for the rest of the planet
- Written by Julie Brigham-Grette, Professor of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Ice floe drifting in Svalbard, Norway.Sven-Erik Arndt/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Every year, sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean shrinks to a low point in mid-September. This year it measures just 1.44 million square miles (3.74 million square kilometers) – the second-lowest value in the 42 years since satellites began...