This is how fast Arctic sea ice is melting

Satellites measure daily how much sea ice there is in the Arctic. The data shows that the area covered by the ice has been shrinking for decades - an effect that exacerbates climate change.

In the coming decades, something will happen that hasn't happened in millions of years: there will be virtually no sea ice left in the Arctic. The following graphic shows the ice area during the year. It is normal for the North Pole to have less ice in summer than in winter. But the ice has been shrinking in both summer and winter for years. Years starting in 1980 can be seen in very light blue, when there was even more ice in total during the year. Recent years are usually a slightly darker blue. (Lalon Sander, more at ndr.de)