Current sea ice extent is getting close to be nearly equal to all time melt year

~After July 23 more than 200K drop,  on July 25 2018  there is a +421,497 Km2 difference in extent between 2018 and 2012.  

~There are ample reasons to believe that 2012 extent will be caught up soon

   2018 Canadian Arctic Archipelago has indeed the lasting ice imprint of very cold Upper Atmosphere as measured by vertical sun disk measurements,  there is no contradiction,  one area
of the Arctic may be quite cold while the majority of its lands and seas much warmer.   Each year varies,  2012 Northwest passage opened very early,  does not look so for 2018.

CAA current July 25 sea ice extent. 2018 trace is in black, 2012 light brown.  There is at least 200,000 km2 of ice to be gone come September/October minima.The current lag with 2012 is about 200K.  

   Record extent drops are primed North of Alaska,  July 22 to 25 JAXA loop suggests at least 200,000 km2 ready to vanish quite soon. 

   Chukchi sea rapid melting is partially masked by counterclockwise flow of sea ice doomed by very warm sea water next to Wrangle Island,  we note to the right,  East Siberian sea rapidly opening up,    not being replenished by Laptev Sea already widely ice free, East Siberian should have very swift drop in extent within next few days. WD July 26,2018