The Arctic sea ice cover is continuing on a downward spiral after it reached one of its lowest levels on record this month in a section of the Northwest Passage, reports CBC News.

Sea ice coverage along the northern route of the Northwest Passage was the fourth lowest on record since 1968 during the week of Sept. 10, the Canadian Ice Service (CIS) said Wednesday.

At 10 per cent coverage, this was "dramatically below" the historical average coverage of 43 per cent, said the agency.

The summer ice cover in and around the Arctic Ocean has declined since satellites began measuring this in 1978, said NASA in comments on the ice minimum of 2022.