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November Arctic sea ice: Ties 2007 record minimum
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Arctic sea ice cover / 4 Nov 2009 / NSIDC
The arctic sea ice cover (as of Nov 4, the NSIDC ice data is one day behind) has tied the 2007 record minimum coverage for this date (circle on graph)
Arctic sea ice growth faced stiff resistance from nature in October, says the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Intense low pressure worked to generate strong southerly winds over the Arctic Ocean and Siberia, keeping ice from forming.
Temperatures were also as much as 10 degrees above average during portions of the month.
A study mentioned on the NSIDC website conducted at the University of Melbourne in Australia suggests that less summer sea ice cover can lead to a feedback loop: warmer water (less ice) provides more energy for storms; the winds from these storms delay ice formation during the fall, and so the cycle deepens.
This pattern retards ice growth but at the same time increases precipitation (snowfall) which accumulates over land areas. This makes for greater cold air reservoirs later in the winter. One might conclude this would lead to more cold air outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada, but the data is far too sketchy and recent to draw that conclusion.
For now, the arctic sea ice pack hovers just above the 2006/2007 record lows for various parts of November (2006 was the record low sea ice year for the last two weeks of the month; 2007 for the first two weeks).
Ice growth is expected to accelerate now that all of the Arctic Ocean is in continuous darkness for the next two months. Whether the unusual weather pattern will continue to interfere is unknown.
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