Richard Black reports for the BBC:

A Nasa satellite has documented startling changes in Arctic sea ice cover between 2004 and 2005.
The extent of “perennial” ice – thick ice which remains all year round – declined by 14%, losing an area the size of Pakistan or Turkey.

The last few decades have seen ice cover shrink by about 0.7% per year.
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September 2005 saw the lowest recorded area of ice cover since 1978, when satellite records became available.
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“The change we see between 2004 and 2005 is enormous.” – Son Nghiem

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