This new record low is yet another indicator of how Arctic sea ice has fundamentally changed from earlier decades,” said NSIDC senior research scientist Walt Meier, in a statement. “But even more importantly than the record low is that this year adds yet another data point to the continuing long-term loss of Arctic sea ice in all seasons.

The extent of sea ice blanketing the Arctic this winter fell to the lowest level on record, researchers announced this week, an ominous signal about the effects of climate change in the world’s fastest-warming region.

Earth is missing a lot of sea ice this year. Enough to cover the entire United States east of the Mississippi. That was announced by researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center on Thursday,