The research, published by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), suggests that the area of Arctic sea ice dropped to 4.41 million square kilometers (1.7 million square miles) late last week.
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The analysis was released by NASA’s Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), based in Boulder, Colorado. Which brings us to one particularly noteworthy excerpt from the report: “The minimum extent was reached four days earlier than the 1981 to 2010 average minimum date of September 15”.
Interesting stuff. Amundsen made his sea voyage through the Canadian Arctic in 1903-6; nobody knows what the summer minimum ice reach was like back then because we didn’t have satellites, but presumably the NSIDC’s information is relevant in some way. Some areas were warmer than the last year, but other places were cooler, Meier said.
The lowest year on record, in 2012, saw a powerful August cyclone that fractured the ice cover, accelerating its decline. This week’s announcements of record-breaking summer heat and extremely low Arctic sea ice, are stark reminders of the need for us to speed up our response to climate change.
Starting next week, NASA’s Operation IceBridge, an airborne survey of polar ice, will be carrying science flights over sea ice in the Arctic, to help validate satellite readings and provide insight into the impact of the summer melt season on land and sea ice. Joey Comiso, a sea ice scientist at Goddard, said that the recovery flattened last winter and will most probably reverse post this melt season.
“The marked energetic mixing we are seeing here at the heart of the Arctic ice-melt zone may prove key in understanding a potential new climate feedback”. Mark Serreze, NOAA spokesperson said that unless the Arctic sea ice loss is reversed, future human generations may no longer get a chance to see the ice formations in the Arctic Sea.
“Instead of using data like the sea ice minimum as a clear warning sign to take bold action”, Nicol continued, “our leaders are allowing Shell to drill for oil in the melting Arctic ice”. Well, those time frames have passed, and not only is ice still around, it’s coverage is higher than 2012, 2007 and 2011. The Northern Sea Route and the Beaufort and Chukchi seas are virtually ice free. The ocean could only attack it from the sides. “Presently it’s similar to the intruders have burrowed in from underneath and the ice pack softens from inside”. However, Meier pointed out that the rate of increase is roughly just 1/3 to 1/4 that of the Arctic ice loss.
Scientists warn that, by the time this month is over, sea ice cover in this corner of the world could shrink even further.
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However, the NSIDC noted an overall disturbing trend: “The nine lowest extents in the satellite era have all occurred in the last nine years”. According to the report, El Nino causes higher sea level pressure, warmer air temperatures and warmer SST’s in West Antarctica that can reduce the distribution of sea ice in that region.
