“Absurdly Warm” Arctic May Set New Low Ice Record
February 29, 2016
Rapidly disappearing Arctic sea ice is about to set a new record after an “absurdly warm” winter at the top of the world. For the second year running, it will have grown to cover less of the Arctic Ocean than ever before.
The revelation comes as scientists are increasingly worried that the heating of the region could escalate out of control, as growing numbers of “feedback mechanisms” – which reinforce and accelerate the process – are being discovered.
Most attention on the melting sea ice so far has been focused on the increasingly low minimum levels it reaches each September. Its nine smallest-ever extents have all occurred in the last nine years, with the record being reached in 2012, when it covered only 3.41 million square kilometres – 44 per cent less than the average of the previous three decades, and a full 16 per cent lower than the previous record, in 2007.
But the amount by which the ice recovers each winter, peaking at the end of February and the beginning of March, though little publicised, is at least as important. Last year it reached only 14.54 million sq km on 25 February, its peak day – the lowest ever. Exactly a year later, at the end of last week, it was just 14.27 million sq km, a fall of 270,000 sq km.
Scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Boulder, Colorado (NSIDC) – the world’s foremost authority on the issue – are not quite ready to proclaim a new record, as the ice may yet spread further over the next days. But, with another week of unseasonably warm weather forecast for the region, they privately believe it is almost certain.
Climate Denial Crock of the Week 
February 29, 2016 at 11:28 am
Reblogged this on A Green Road Daily News.
February 29, 2016 at 12:29 pm
THEN EVER BEFORE ? Hyperbole much ?
February 29, 2016 at 1:16 pm
Aside from loonie50’s ongoing display of his communication and grammar difficulties, which is getting to be quite “over the top”, there is no hyperbole involved in this post.
I suspect that his math and graph reading skills are no better than his English, or he’d be able to figure out the “IF-THEN” here—-IF the ice hits a record low, THEN it is covering less of the Arctic Ocean THAN ever before.
February 29, 2016 at 5:21 pm
My guess is he didn’t read beyond the first paragraph.
February 29, 2016 at 7:39 pm
Mind the Russian trolls.
February 29, 2016 at 10:09 pm
Sorry, but all we get is “The uploader has not made this video available in your country”
Is this the same one from youtube?
March 1, 2016 at 9:14 am
Yes it is. I’m having no trouble seeing either clip – & I’m from Oz.
March 1, 2016 at 9:11 am
No. Probably not hyperbole enough really given the length of time we’re talking here.
March 1, 2016 at 7:23 am
Latest book and documentary.
‘The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science’.
http://www.drtimball.com
Debate between Dr Tim Ball and Elizabeth May
Scroll down to Ian Jessop part 1
http://www.cfax1070.com/Podcasts
March 1, 2016 at 9:21 am
Tim Ball is a well known Exxon funded Denialist who has been suied fro libel – see
http://www.desmogblog.com/timothy-f-ball-tim-ball
Those are very long youtube clips. Please can you summarise the main point Ball is arguing in them briefly?
March 12, 2016 at 6:56 pm
[…] Bob – Great graphs, thanks.The absurdly warm Arctic is one for the record books.https://climatecrocks.com/2016/02/29/absurdly-warm-arctic-may-set-new-low-ice-record/ […]