Arctic sea ice shrinks to lowest level on record: US

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Arctic sea ice has shrunk to its smallest surface area since record-keeping began, taking the world into "uncharted territory" as climate change intensifies, United States scientists warned on Wednesday.

Satellite images show the ice cap had melted to 3.4 million sq km as of Sept 16, the predicted lowest point for the year.

That's the smallest Arctic ice cover since record-keeping began in 1979, the National Snow and Ice Data Centre said.

"We are now in uncharted territory," the center's director, Mr Mark Serreze, said in a statement.