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Small Lake Forms at North Pole


The lake as it appears on the North Pole on July 26, 2013.
The lake as it appears on the North Pole on July 26, 2013.
Web cameras operated by the North Pole Environmental Observatory have captured some stunning images from the top of the world.

Photos taken in July show a small lake of liquid water has formed. The observatory says, however, that there is still ice below the lake, which was formed from melting ice.

While July is normally the warmest month in the Arctic, this year’s temperatures have been 1 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal.

The polar ice cap shrinks and expands every year, but has trended smaller since satellites started monitoring its size in the 1970s.

The North Pole Environmental Observatory has monitored the state of Arctic sea ice since 2000.

Slide your mouse across the image below to see the North Pole in April and today.

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