Arctic Sea Ice Melt Equivalent to Size of U.S., Scientists Concerned [VIDEO]

An area of the Arctic sea ice the size of the U.S, melted at record levels this year, while summer snow melted in the region at its fastest pace yet, according to a new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The report found that Greenland's Arctic sea ice and glaciers were melting at a record rate and that sea-level rise has accelerated in the region. Some scientists have warned that the world could be closer to a global warming tipping point than previously thought.

"Climate change is taking place before our eyes, and will continue to do so as a result of the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which have risen constantly and again reached new records," said United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) secretary, Michael Jarraud.

The latest report about the melting Arctic, come as ongoing negotiations are underway in Doha, Qatar over the slow progress to reach a global agreement on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The buildup of the gases is elevating average global temperatures, with the most pronounced changes in the northernmost latitudes.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported a record loss of Arctic ice and snow from Oct. 2011 through August 2012. That included the loss of almost all of Greenland's surface ice over four days in July.

"Conditions in the Arctic are changing in both expected and sometimes surprising ways," Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told Nature. And "what happens in the Arctic doesn't always stay in the Arctic," she added. "We're seeing Arctic changes that affect weather patterns in the U.S."

Watch a video on the Arctic ice loss below: