The Arctic ice cap has reached its fifth-smallest peak on record, raising concerns that the decline in sea ice will raise global temperatures and contribute to higher levels of carbon dioxide.

With a maximum of 5.7 million square miles, the Arctic sea ice peaked on March 21 at around 282,000 square miles below the average recorded ice from 1981 to 2010, Bloomberg reported.

According to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the summer melt season for Arctic ice has increased in the same period of time, possibly exacerbating the sea ice decline.

2011 marked the record low for Arctic ice, but scientists have only been tracking the level of sea ice since 1978.

Although the amount of Arctic ice was lower than normal, the ice pack had 13 percent more multi-year ice, meaning ice that has stayed at least two seasons. Multi-year ice accounted for 43 percent of the ice pack this year compared with last winter, when multi-year ice made up 30 percent.

A diminishing amount of Arctic ice could shift the normal patterns of ocean circulation and regional atmosphere. Melting sea ice also makes for warmer waters, which scientists say could in turn melt the Greenland Ice Sheet, increasing sea levels. Another concern is that Arctic permafrost will melt and eventually release huge levels of carbon dioxide.

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released a report that predicted disastrous results by 2050 due to climate change.

In November, President Obama issued an executive order to create the Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. The group's mission is to "advise the Administration on how the Federal Government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with the impacts of climate change," the White House said in a statement.

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