![S_daily_extent_hires.jpg](http://www.livescience.com/images/i/000/056/966/original/S_daily_extent_hires.jpg?1379448010)
Sea ice surrounding Antarctica hit a record high in August and is on track for another record-breaking month in September.
Clocking in at a stunning 7.2 million square miles (18.7 million square kilometers), last month's sea ice extent was 4.5 percent above the 1981 to 2010 average and the largest extent since record-keeping started in 1979, according to data released today.
http://www.livescience.com/39720-antarctica-ice-record-highs-2013.html