Arctic ice is breaking up!   This 29 August 2006 Envisat MERIS image highlights the area North of Svalbard, Norway, where a very low sea ice concentration can be seen. The image width is about 800 km.   The image on the left is an Envisat ASAR mosaic of Arctic ice acquired on 23 August 2006. (Courtesy: Polar View) The right image is an EOS Aqua AMSR-E ice concentration acquired on 24 August 2006. (Courtesy: Leif Toudal Pedersen). There is a significant extent of leads – fractures and openings in the sea-ice cover – just below the pole in both the ASAR image, seen as splashes of dark grey and black, and the AMSR-E image (with British Isles shown for scale), seen by the high concentration of yellow, orange and green colours, signifying low ice concentrations.