The melting of sea ice in the Arctic is well on its way toward its annual "minimum," that time when the floating ice cap covers less of the Arctic Ocean than at any other period during the year. 2013's melt rates are in line with the sustained decline of the Arctic ice cover observed by NASA and other satellites over the last several decades. In this animation, the daily Arctic sea ice and seasonal land cover change progress through time, from May 16, 2013, through Aug. 15, 2013.