cenenen an s#sthn it may cause soue river floodidg ma at ththto oe wo scntists sea ice rringhe acircl ltg ch faste t ouout. the mig inrnough ovorni tee dole theor >> repter: atic oceais 6 million square miles.most of itovered in icic but last month, the top of thth world was up tooo4eges abo rmal and bro td f thwest aunt of icin bruary.momomomon 400,0000 square mes t.t. >> it'ompletet preceden opleleho w up there, you know, gop to the arctic and go out on boats and cruise around measure theke things are absolutely stunnene >>orter: robert newton is an araric reseaeaher at columum university. >> is the dead of with winter there. there no light. it well below freezing. it suld be locked in with ici alllthe wayacross. t the ice is signififantly retreated even in wintertime. >> reporter: the shrking sea iccould hav a potentially disastrousffect on amals who depepe on the ice to hunt and breath icicfree o#oan absb more heat an bome wararrt wch s up gcial mtiti and r rng& lels enmo. >> iceces a great rleor off ghgh which ireostsp othe othe plane ces from. en war, it'srk, it' a a fafaticabsorber. >> reporter:r:w