Arctic sea ice appears to have reached a record low wintertime maximum extent for the second year in a row, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and NASA. This short animation shows the Arctic sea ice freeze cycle from the last summertime minimum extent to March 24, when it reached its wintertime maximum extent: at 5.607 million square miles, it is the lowest maximum extent in the satellite record.

Credit: NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio/C. Starr