Aug 25 2012 Arctic sea ice set to reach its lowest extent ever recorded by weeks end.

Arctic sea ice set to reach its lowest extent ever recorded by the end of this week

Ice volume in the Arctic has declined dramatically over the past decade.  Unprecedented rate of Arctic sea ice melt is set to reach its lowest extent ever recorded by the end of this week.
Current melt rate of more than 100,000 square kilometers per day is expected to rapidly increase over the weekend, aiming to break down the 2007 record. August has already broken its record. Daily sea ice extent data and area graphs suggest that all-time record has already been broken.

The University of Bremen reports ice extent below the all-time record low of 4.33m sq km recorded in September 2007.

“Unless something really unusual happens we will see the record broken in the next few days. It might happen this weekend, almost certainly next week,” Julienne Stroeve, (NSIDC)

Dramatic changes in sea ice cover started by storm spreading the ice pack out, allowing that way opening up the waterways for warmer water.