From the National Sea Ice Data Center newsletter, fall, 2009
More ice cover remained at the end of the Arctic summer this year than during the previous record-setting low years of 2007 and 2008. However, sea ice has not recovered to previous levels. This year’s 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. Full report in the NSIDC fall newsletter.