They also assert that, as a member, America could itself lay claim to some 600 square miles of additional Arctic seabeds.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Russian LOST and found

Earlier this month NSICD scientists reported that winter sea ice cover in the Arctic was just 14.7 million square kilometers (5.7m square miles) -- slightly better than the all-time low 14.5m square kilometers (5.6m square miles) in 2006 -- but well short of the 15.7m average for 1979-2000.

CNN: Arctic melt worse than predictions

The extent of Arctic sea ice extent fell to 4.10 million square kilometers on August 26, 2012.

FORBES: As Arctic Ice Reaches Record Low, Meteorologists Name Humans 'Dominant' Cause Of Climate Change

Between 2004 and 2005, 14 percent of the Arctic Ocean's perennial ice disappeared - some 720, 000 square kilometers (447, 000 square miles) -- a depletion Lynas calls "instantaneous" in geological terms.

CNN: Six degrees of devastation

After the record low posted on August 26, Arctic sea ice levels continued to drop and is now below 4.00 million square kilometers (1.54 million square miles).

FORBES: On Romney's 'Rising Oceans', Time To Get A Bigger Boat