Hold the Ice

(Fox News) - A glitch in satellite sensors has caused scientists to underestimate the extent of Arctic sea ice by 193,000 square miles. That's a chunk of ice about the size of California. The National Snow and Ice Data Center says the error was due to a problem called "sensor drift" and lasted from early January to the middle of this month.

The extent of Arctic sea ice is seen as a key measure of how rising temperatures are affecting the planet. The center says on its Web site: "Although we believe that data prior to early January are reliable, we will conduct a full quality check."

It maintains that the recent error does not change findings that Arctic ice is retreating.