July is the Arctic’s melting month, when sea ice begins to shrink faster than the rest of the year due to high temperatures. Two weeks of unusually warm weather in mid-July have caused melting ice to form a lake at the North Pole, CBS News reports. Temperatures over the Arctic Ocean in July were two to five degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal.

The area of ice always expands and contracts depending on the season, but recently the levels seem to be impacted by more than just changing seasons. Last summer’s minimum extent was the lowest on record, and this year’s maximum winter coverage was also a record-setting low. Satellite observations of the Arctic ice sheet began in the 1970s. Sea ice levels are a concern in Antarctica as well, Forbes explains.

A study was released earlier this week that demonstrated that permafrost is being influenced by the rising temperatures. Permafrost is also being impacted in the Arctic, raising concerns that the methane in the ice will be released into the atmosphere.

As climate change continues to impact Earth, scientists are very concerned about the potential effects that rising temperatures could have on areas like the Arctic. Melting sea ice might be close to normal at this point, but rising sea levels could flood populated areas and force massive evacuations. Past models of sea level rise have turned out to be too conservative, so scientists are urging caution.