The Arctic in 2018 wasn't just melting. It was screaming. And while the world was distracted by other news, the thermostat at the top of the world kept climbing.
The numbers are stark: The minimum sea ice extent in September 2018 was tied for the 6th lowest ever. The 12 lowest years on record? All have occurred in the last 12 years. arctic.2018
Here is a look back at the defining moments of the Arctic in 2018. If you remember one statistic from 2018, make it this: The Arctic experienced its second-warmest year on record (second only to 2016). The Arctic in 2018 wasn't just melting
In August 2018, for the first time in recorded history, the sea ice north of Greenland began to break up. Warm winds and a warm ocean current opened large leads (channels of open water) where there should have been solid ice. It was a visual shock—the fortress had a breach. While we didn't get the "mass starvation" event of 2019, 2018 provided the brutal math of a warming Arctic. The numbers are stark: The minimum sea ice