THE FUSE

Arctic sea ice has likely finished its summer retreat, and the result sounds ordinary. According to a preliminary analysis of National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) data by Alaska climate specialist Rick Thoman, the ice shrank to about 4.60 million square kilometers (1.78 million square miles) on Sept. 12. That ties last year for the 11th-lowest minimum since satellite records began in 1979. NSIDC's own formal analysis of the 2026 minimum is expected with its next monthly update.