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Arctic sea ice cover second lowest on recordUPDATED 9/16/11: Arctic sea ice has continued to grow during the past few days, prompting the National Snow & Ice Data Center to call the toss in favor of winter freeze-up. “Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its lowest extent for the year,” says the latest dispatch. “The minimum ice extent was the second lowest in the satellite record, after 2007, and continues the decadal trend of rapidly decreasing summer sea ice.” (Original story) With the extent of frozen sea across the Arctic Ocean hovering at the second lowest level seen during the 32 seasons of satellite monitoring, melting has slowed way down and probably won’t set a new minimum record in 2011, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. “The rate of decline has flattened considerably the last few days: Arctic sea ice is likely near its minimum value for the year,” the NSIDC said in this report posted Tuesday. “However, weather patterns could still push the ice extent lower.” As of Sept. 10, polar ice covered about 1.68 million square miles — about 42,500 square miles above the record minimum seen on the same date in 2007. This chart tracking the decline shows a tiny uptick in extent had occurred. Other satellite data interpreted using different calculations say the area covered by sea ice in 2011 actually did shrink below the 2007 record, the NSIDC noted. In any case, the agency will make an announcement and post more analysis when the ice has stopped shrinking for several days in a row and appears to be growing in response to the colder temperatures of approaching winter. |
