Arctic Sea Ice Reaches 3rd Lowest Minimum Extent

On Sept 12, 2009, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic reached the third lowest level ever recorded since satellite records began in 1979. The National Snow and Ice Data Center estimates that the overall extent dropped to 5.1 million square kilometers, well below the average minimum extent of 6.71 million square kilometers (1979-2000). Only 2007 and 2008 have had lower ice extents. The small increase in 2009 was mostly due to ice spreading caused by strong polar winds. Ice concentration and thickness, however, have not increased, making predictions about a rebound in Arctic ice premature at this moment.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Arctic
• ice
• visualization
• NOAA
• climate

[MrLocomitive]

You will be very pleased to know that as of 2 April, 2010, the Arctic reached its GREATEST extent since 2001 and has just reached the 1979-2000 long-term average!

[8080256256]

And that's not taking the decreasing thickness into account...

[chetanchetan8]

oh my god!

[teemuruskeepaa]

You can see the snow cover on land but not on Scandinavia! There are all periods of lack of snow and the beginning and end of the snow cover. I'd love to have this animation on Europe