What has been the trend in summer ice in the Arctic since 2007?

Answer 1

The trend in Arctic summer ice has been to set records for low ice extents.

The NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Date Center) publishes monthly "Arctic Sea Ice News and Analysis". Some quotes from their website reveal the facts:

A press release in October 2009 began:

"At the end of the Arctic summer, more ice cover remained this year than during the previous record-setting low years of 2007 and 2008. However, sea ice has not recovered to previous levels. September sea ice extent was the third lowest since the start of satellite records in 1979, and the past five years have seen the five lowest ice extents in the satellite record."

26 August, 2008

Arctic sea ice dips below second-lowest record

In late August, sea ice extent fell below the 2005 minimum, the second-lowest extent recorded since the dawn of the satellite era.

8 September, 2009

Winds cause sea ice to spread in August

Atmospheric circulation patterns in August helped spread out sea ice, slowing ice loss in most regions of the Arctic. NSIDC scientists expect to see the minimum ice extent for the year in the next few weeks. While this year's minimum ice extent will probably not reach the record low of 2007, it remains well below normal: average ice extent for August 2009 was the third-lowest in the satellite record. Ice extent has now fallen below the 2005 minimum, previously the third-lowest extent in the satellite record.

7 September, 2010

End of summer approaches for Arctic sea ice

Arctic sea ice generally reaches its annual minimum extent in mid-September. This August, ice extent was the second lowest in the satellite record, after 2007. On September 3, ice extent dropped below the seasonal minimum for 2009 to become the third lowest in the satellite record