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It's the new normal for Arctic sea ice.
The sea ice pack on the top of the world is nearing its summer minimum.
And while it probably won’t set a new record this year,
summer ice still covers much less ocean than decades ago.
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The ice is also thinner and younger on average.
For the first time this summer, NASA’s Operation IceBridge flew a series of flights over the ice,
measuring the thickness of the ice and the depth of melt ponds on the ice surface.
Combining this data with satellite observations will help researchers model the future of Arctic sea ice.
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