Arctic sea ice 2nd lowest level on record

Arctic sea ice has melted to the second lowest level on record, scientists say.

Arctic sea ice has melted to the second lowest level on record, scientists say. (AAP)

Arctic sea ice has melted to the second lowest level on record despite a "fairly cool summer", scientists say.

The extent of the sea ice in the Arctic at the end of the annual summer melt was 4 million square km, tied for the second lowest level with 2007, the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) in the US says.

There was 751,097 square km more ice in the polar region at the end of the 2016 summer melt than the record low set in 2012, as ice cover fell well below the 37-year average for this point in the year, the preliminary figures show.

With more typical warmer conditions, the Arctic could see very dramatic losses of ice in the coming years, the scientists warn.

NSIDC director Mark Serreze said: "It was a stormy, cloudy, and fairly cool summer.

"Historically, such weather conditions slow down the summer ice loss, but we still got down to essentially a tie for second lowest in the satellite record."

Ted Scambos, NSIDC lead scientist, added: "It really suggests that in the next few years, with more typical warmer conditions, we will see some very dramatic further losses."