Recent satellite analysis shows that Arctic sea ice has
returned to 1979 levels.
Back in September it was reported with great zeal that Arctic sea ice was melting at an alarming rate and that there was the danger of most all sea ice melting. Concern over the ice even prompted United States government officials to list the polar bear as a threatened species.
Three months removed from that panic, the latest satellite analysis from the University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center now shows there was no cause for concern as sea ice levels rebounded at near record levels and in fact returned to levels not seen in almost 30 years. Each year with the change of seasons the amount of sea ice fluctuates as it melts and refreezes. Colder temperatures invaded the region and winds that hamper ice growth have been lower thus allowing the sea ice to return to the new levels.
Sea ice is floating and, unlike the massive ice sheets anchored to bedrock in Greenland and Antarctica, doesn't affect ocean levels. However, due to its transient nature, sea ice responds much faster to changes in temperature or precipitation and is therefore a useful barometer of changing conditions.
The article further goes on to point out that the thinner ice that was present before the last quarter changes did not recover as it was expected to. They had expected the new, thin ice to melt easier when in fact less snow cover allowed to to recover much faster than expected. So in a nutshell, they could not accurately predict the recovery of sea ice over a short period of time. It does make one wonder how they can predict longterm changes to the climate.
Comments
www.nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/. This is the official report on arctic sea ice extent at the end of 2008. Show me where it says that sea ice is back to 1979 levels. This blatent lying and misrepresentation of the facts is pathetic. Examime the facts, all of them before you publish this BS.
Mike, thank you for your response. The University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center actually acknowledged the statement as true:
Observed global sea ice area, defined here as a sum of N. Hemisphere and S. Hemisphere sea ice areas, is near or slightly lower than those observed in late 1979, as noted in the Daily Tech article.
You can read more here:
arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/global.sea.ice.area.pdf
Thank you.
Tony
Your headline is wrong. Arctic sea ice is not back to 1979 levels. *World* sea ice is.
From the PDF:
"Observed global sea ice area, defined here as a sum of N. Hemisphere and S. Hemisphere sea ice areas, is near or slightly lower than those observed in late 1979, as noted in the Daily Tech article. However, observed N. Hemisphere sea ice area is almost one million sq. km below values seen in late 1979 and S. Hemisphere sea ice area is about 0.5 million sq. km above that seen in late 1979, partly offsetting the N. Hemisphere reduction."
Here's some info for the sheep who follow the NSIDC.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has been at the forefront of predicting doom in the arctic as ice melts due to global warming. In May, 2008 they went so far as to predict that the North Pole would be ice-free during the 2008 'melt season,' leading to a lively Slashdot discussion. Today, however, they say that they have been the victims of 'sensor drift' that led to an underestimation of Arctic ice extent by as much as 500,000 square kilometers. The problem was discovered after they received emails from puzzled readers, asking why obviously sea-ice-covered regions were showing up as ice-free, open ocean. It turns out that the NSIDC relies on an older, less-reliable method of tracking sea ice extent called SSM/I that does not agree with a newer method called AMSR-E. So why doesn't NSIDC use the newer AMSR-E data? 'We do not use AMSR-E data in our analysis because it is not consistent with our historical data.' Turns out that the AMSR-E data only goes back to 2002, which is probably not long enough for the NSIDC to make sweeping conclusions about melting. The AMSR-E data is updated daily and is available to the public. Thus far, sea ice extent in 2009 is tracking ahead of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, so the predictions of an ice-free north pole might be premature."
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!