Re a recovery, NSIDC has recently updated its FAQ link
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/faq/#why_moreWhat would it mean for Arctic sea ice to recover?
Sea ice extent normally varies from year to year, much like the weather changes from day to day. But just as one warm day in October does not negate a cooling trend toward winter, a slight annual gain in sea ice extent over a record low does not negate the long-term decline.
Even though the extent of Arctic sea ice has not returned to the record low of 2012, the data show that it is not recovering. To recover would mean returning to within its previous, long-term range. Arctic sea ice extent remains very low.
In addition, sea ice remains much thinner than in the past, and so is more vulnerable to further decline. While ice thickness is difficult to measure using satellites, a variety of data sources and estimates indicate that the Arctic ice cover remains thin. For more information on ice thickness, see the Icelights article, Getting beneath the ice.
So what would scientists call a recovery in sea ice? First, a true recovery would continue over a period of multiple years. Second, scientists would expect to see a series of minimum sea ice extents that not only exceed the previous year, but also return to within the range of natural variation. In a recovery, scientists would also expect to see a return to an Arctic sea ice cover dominated by thicker, multiyear ice.
