Images like this one show something scientists call a "meltwater pond" or "melt ponds." During the Arctic spring and summer, these ponds of freshwater appear on the melting ice. Meltwater ponds sprout more easily on young, thin ice, which now accounts for more than half of the Arctic's sea ice. The more dark pools of water there are, the more they absorb additional heat, accelerating the melt. This year, the small pools have melted into each other, creating a much larger pond than previously seen. As the planet warms and the Arctic experiences higher temperatures, summer ice melt in the North Pole is expected to get progressively worse, making large ponds like this altogether too common :'( :huh