The ice sea level took major hits during 2016. The result showed something very unusual and unnerving is happening on this planet of ours.

According to DISCOVER, the Arctic ice sea has been hit particularly very hard. The global sea ice is utterly collapsed, following a pattern never seen before. Total sea ice extent was at its lowest level since satellite records began in 1978.

The result is likely the lowest it's been for thousands of years. The scientists claimed that global warming is playing an important role in the story.

In the world, two major sources of sea ice have found. There is the ice covering the open water in the North Pole and also there is the sea ice that surrounds the coast of Antarctica that usually recedes in the Southern Hemisphere summer.

National Snow and Ice Data Center has reported that both the pole is near record lows for this time of the year. At both places, a wave of new record lows was set for daily and monthly extent.

The ice of North Antarctic ice has been steadily declining for decades.In September 2012; Arctic sea ice extent reached an all-time record low. Then in 2016, sea ice extent fell to its lowest October, November, and December levels ever.

The abnormal warmth and record low sea ice extent tended to occur most frequently during the warmer months of the year. But the scientists are worried that things have really dangerous in the colder months.

Researchers have calculated that up to 95 percent of the long-term decline in the Arctic sea ice has been driven by human activity. The dark soot particles from factories and car pollution are responsible for it. Scientists aren't sure whether this year's retreat of Antarctica is related to global warming or not.

However, scientists are not sure about the cause of sudden retreat of Arctic ocean ice. But really this is a grave concern to all human beings.

Related