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Subscribe to RSSNew sea ice is finally starting to form again in the Arctic, scientists reported Wednesday, but not before reaching another record low last Sunday.
"We are now in uncharted territory," Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said in a statement announcing the record low of 1.32 million square miles -- nearly half the average extent from 1979 to 2010. The extent has been tracked by satellite since 1979.
"While we’ve long known that as the planet warms up, changes would be seen first and be most pronounced in the Arctic," he added, "few of us were prepared for how rapidly the changes would actually occur."
Many experts expect the Arctic to be free of sea ice in summer at some point between 2015 and 2050.
"Recent climate models suggest that ice-free conditions may happen before 2050," noted center scientist Julienne Stroeve. But she added the caveat that the recent sudden rate of decline "remains faster than many of the models are able to capture."
Serreze told NBC News he's figuring on 2030, calling it "a pretty aggressive estimate."
The sea ice extent numbers come after the center reported last month that the summer sea ice on Aug. 26 had broken the previous record low set in 2007 of 1.61 million square miles. On Aug. 26 the sea ice extent was 1.58 million square miles, it said.
"We're smashing a record that smashed a record," center scientist Walt Meier said.
In the 1980s, he said, summer sea ice would cover an area a bit smaller than the Lower 48 states. Now it is about half that.
A report from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows the Arctic's melting ice is resulting in the lowest sea ice levels since satellites started tracking the measurements in 1979. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
The difference between this year's low and that of 2007 is 293,000 square miles, about the size of Texas, the center noted in its report.
Meanwhile, conditions favorable to new sea ice are taking longer to appear.
"The strong late season decline is indicative of how thin the ice cover is," Meier said. "Ice has to be quite thin to continue melting away as the sun goes down and fall approaches."
The thickness of the ice is also in decline.
"The core of the ice cap is the perennial ice, which normally survived the summer because it was so thick", Joey Comiso, a NASA scientist who uses satellites to study the ice, said in a statement. "But because it's been thinning year after year, it has now become vulnerable to melt."
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NASA also noted that a strong August storm that formed off Alaska's coast and moved to the center of the Arctic Ocean had an impact on ice levels.
"The storm definitely seems to have played a role in this year's unusually large retreat of the ice", said NASA scientist Claire Parkinson. "But that exact same storm, had it occurred decades ago when the ice was thicker and more extensive, likely wouldn't have had as prominent an impact, because the ice wasn't as vulnerable then as it is now."
This year follows several of declining summer sea ice.
"The six lowest September ice extents have all been in the past six years," Serreze said. "I think that's quite remarkable."
The experts also noted that what happens in the Arctic doesn't stay there.
The warmer Arctic is adding increased heat and moisture into the climate system, said center scientist Ted Scambos. "This will gradually affect climate in the areas where we live," he said. "We have a less polar pole -- and so there will be more variations and extremes."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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As usual, everybody's got everything all figgered out! Thank goodness for the closet climatologists and their wealth of knowledge. And hey Witchking and marsipansi: WTF MAN??!!
A Few facts missing that skew this story. 1. Only a 33 year history exists of measuring sea ice the way it is measured due to it being done by satilite. 2. Antartica's sea ice is at record levels this year. From the same report. 3. There have been periods of earth's history where NO sea ice was present on the Arctic region. 4. Our history of knowledge of this area is minuite. 5. The scientist making the claims is relient on the theme of global warming for his government granted income. 6. MSNBC failed to present all the pertinent evidence in order to illicit the response they want. In court this is called with holding evidence!
Oh Noes! Don't confuse the AGW zealots with reason! That makes them angry and they'll call you a wingnut!
Another missing fact! Don forgot to state that he is an idiot.
It only takes a moron to figure out that there is much less sea ice now than before satellites.
Donny boy. You also forgot to mention that the Antarctic is warming. You aren't smart enough to realize that more ice doesn't mean colder. According to NASA's Earth Observatory the Antarctic Peninsula is currently one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. Please quit talking about things you know nothing about.
Enough of this hype...think back to olden times when Greenland was truly Green...through the 3 ice ages since the Earth was born...
Mother Nature rules, so we better learn to survive...vanity and just plain scientific ignorance is wasting time and money and talent thinking we caused this climatic change - what utter nonsense from the always intellectually superior left.
While I agree that there are changes happening, I disagree that I or ANYONE else knows why. We can speculate. Yes, there is arctic sea ice melting. Global warming? Solar flares? I don't know and neither do you. Antarctic sea ice increasing. Yes, it's happening. Why? I don't know and neither do you. I do know that salt water freezes at -2 degrees Celsius. It is hypothesised that a vortex is created with the ozone hole over Antarctica that causes temperatures to drop lower there, thus more sea ice. As far as Arctic ice is concerned, higher temperatures in Greenland means more melting snow and ice which then makes its way to the sea thereby increasing local water temperatures above -2 degrees Celsius which could lead to less arctic sea ice. Why? I have not once heard anyone talk about a combination of factors such as a slight change in earths orbit which could draw it closer to the sun in the Northern Hemispheres summer and solar flares which we know have increased this year as well as the last decade and whether this is a reason. Here's a fun fact. Is the earth closer to the sun in the Northern Hemispheres winter or summer? If you answered winter you are correct. The axis tips the surface away from the sun during winter and with the shorter days there is less solar exposure during this season. Powerful stuff, solar radiation, isn't it? Those of us who claim they know there is man made global warming and know that the observed changes in climate were caused by it don't really know absolutely. To say there is a scientific community consensus is an outright lie.
Wow! You are truly an idiot. Ignoring all the FACTS and the science takes more effort than learning them.
Carbon dioxide has 3 isotopes. CO2 with isotopes of 1 and 2 are from naturally ocurring events. CO2 with isotope 3 is EXCLUSIVELY from burning fossil fuels.
The level of CO2 Isotope 3 before the 1850's did NOT EXIST in the atmosphere essentially with less than 1%, the rest was CO2 isotopes 2 and 1.
TODAY CO2 Isotope 3 is 80% of the CO2 in the air! Get a clue.
Over 90% of the CLIMATOLOGISTs, those that STUDY WORLWIDE CLIMATE, do agree man is the reason for global warming. Ignore them if you want.
CO2 levels are HIGHER, period, and man is the cause.
....and in the 1890s nearly 100% of physicists were convinced there was an "aether" throughout the universe that the earth passed through.....until Albert Einstein dismissed that notion as nonsense in 1905 with his Special Theory of Relativity. 300 years of consensus thinking gone in a few sentences. Amazing. Consensus thinking by a community of 'experts' is a dangerous thing....and frequently wrong. Something is going on with our planet....we just don't know for sure yet what it is or what it means. I hope we find out soon.....
Libsareidiots,
You could not be any further from reality. There is absolutely no difference in CO2 attributable to burning or other natural causes.
CO2 levels have continued to go up, but there hasn't been a corresponding increase in temp over the past 10 12 years, so what gives?
The whole AGW theory is flawed and does not stand up to scientific methodology or scrutiny!
WRONG moron skeptical idiot. LOOK IT UP you numbskull. CO2 has different ISOTOPES, you don't even KNOW what an ISOTOPE is dingbat.
The HOTTEST years have been the last 12 idiot, so you have PROVED you are stupid as well as IGNORANT.
Where is that extra Carbon Dioxide coming from?
http://
kochanski.org/gpk/research/misc/2007/human_CO2.html
http://
www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/isotopes/c14tellsus.html
The steady downward trend in Î14C of background air shows that the additional carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere must have a lower Î14C value than what is already in the atmosphere. Well, we know that fossil fuels have a Î14C signal of -1000â°, but that all other sources have a signal that is very close to that of ambient air (approximately + 45â° in 2010, actually). Therefore, when CO2 from fossil fuels enter the atmosphere, the Î14C value in the atmosphere goes down. We can precisely calculate how much the Î14C value in the atmosphere goes down when fossil fuel CO2 is added. It turns out to be about a 3â° decrease in Î14C for every 1 ppm of fossil fuel CO2 added to the atmosphere.
We can KNOW how much CO2 is naturally in the air and how much CO2 is DUE TO FOSSIL FUELS BURNED. Thanks for proving you are an idiot.
you are extremely incorrect. co2 is co2. burned co2 is the same as all other kinds of co2. i am a chemical engineer.
an isotope carries additional neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. molecules are not isotopes. atoms are.
chemically transforming carbon from a solid, hydrogen-bonded molecule to a gaseous, oxygen-bonded molecule does NOT add neutrons to its nucleus. you could not be more mistaken.
Rick,
LAI is right when he says that carbon isotopes from burning fossil fuels are different - although he has some of the details wrong.
Carbon has 3 isotopes, C-12, C-13, and C-14. Plants prefer lighter isotopes of carbon (C-12, easier to absorb), and therefore fossil fuels (made primarily of plant materials) have very high ratios of 'light' C-12 as compared to heavier carbon isotopes. When we look at the carbon molecules in our atmosphere, we can see that the ratio of light-to-heavy is changing (rapidly), and that change is traced to our use of fossil fuels.
It's as telling as a fingerprint at a crime scene. It's us.
"It's as telling as a fingerprint at a crime scene...."
REAL POOR choice of words, Physicist-retired.
Humans doing what humans do (which is part of their nature)..is not a crime.
no, he is incorrect. c14 is not formed from burning carbon. c14 is formed from reaction with cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere. any co2 molecule can form the c14 isotope, not just co2 formed from burning.
in addition, c14 makes up less than 0.0001 percent of all carbon. it is widely recognized as a trace element. it is laughable to think that c14 could be causing global warming. it is a physical impossiblity.
LAI-
While most everything you say may be true, you still do no know, absolutely, that the result of increased CO2 levels leads to Man Made Global Warming. You speculate.
Thank God! I hate cold...
Back in 1975 the libs were all upset over global cooling. This article proves that liberals and climate freaks are unbelievably ignorant. Really ...1979??? Too small a sample...that much I know.
Oh, and Plork......please kill yourself.
So, at what point do we just throw in the towel? What do the models say is the tipping point beyond which we can no longer reverse the trend? It's depressing to keep hearing all these reports....and the disclaimers that "our models didn't foresee what is happening under our noses." Geez....
Oh no my god the polar bears. Where is Al Gore when we need him. It must be global warming right democrats.
So, some think the foreign industrialized nations are the cause of global warming. As scientists note the arrival of the six billionth human being on the planet, they also are warning that 16 percent of the worlds population is consuming some 80 percent of its natural resources. In the U.S. alone, says Emily Matthews of the World Resources Institute, every man, woman and child is responsible for the consumption of about 25 tons of raw materials each year.
Foreign industrialized countries are answering the old economics of supply and demand. American companies prefer the cheap labor and reduced environmental regulations available overseas.
Presidential candidates discuss creating more jobs at home. Unless American's are willing to work for reduced wages and benefits, "tain't" going to happen. Made in Japan was once regarded as dangerous to our economy. Well, I have news for ya'll, the world realized America was ripe for picking. Produce goods with built in obsolescence guaranteed to increase productivity.
As a nation, we have the ability to produce products capable of operating in extreme conditions, either on the battle field or deep space yet products for the home have a life expectancy of months. We are going backwards and in the process using up valuable resources. Unless a complete reversal is implemented, ie, recycling, repairing, resources necessary in manufacturing will limit America's ability to self sustained economic stability.
A "throw away" society must retain a certain amount in order to balance the scales. Otherwise, at some point, we are left with nothing and become a victim of our own greed.
uh...Seven Billion...or more than 7.04 billion according to the US Census Bureau...
And you aren't going to stop Global Warming (or Global Climate change...or whatever you want to call it....)...because you won't stop the Chinese or the Russsians or the Indians from trying to match our affluence...nor have you even tried...
(oooo....look at evil America! We need to stop Evil America! America is so Evil!....)
You people make me sick.
Here's a clue, sheeple...that which cannot be helped must be endured. This has been known since the dawn of human intelligence....
It is only through ingenuity and risk taking are we going to mitigate the hazards of Global Warming.
So, we know what has happened since 1979. And we are supposed to get all excited about that? Hasn't the world been around a little longer than that? Do we have any idea what was going on witht he total ice 500 years ago? 1,000? 10,000? Ever heard of the ice age? What happened to end it? What did man do that either brought on the ice age or ended it? Nothing. Everything cycles including the weather. Get over it.
And as the glaciers pull back on the land we see (gasp) that man once lived there on the bare earth at some other point in time before the glaciers took over. There fore the only record broken was when the area was covered up with ice the last time!
It is comical to think of all these harebrains that have bought into this tremble at the thought!
Where is your fearless leader that started all this and made millions off "global warming" before fading away out of sight when the truth came out about it all?
It is arrogant to think that something as insignificant as man could have so much effect on nature.LOL
The last ice age occurred about 10,000 years ago. We have been experiencing global warming since.
Cool....a new fishing ground to exploit...
and think of all that oil that is probably lying under the Arctic Sea...in "international waters"....
The next "gold" rush.....
Here is what it all boils down to. If Global Warming does exist there is no money to be made in it. There fore it can not exist. As it would be expensive to fight.
So short sighted are you! There is PLENTY to be made off of Global Warming! Just ask Al Gore! He makes plenty!
No more Titanic disasters! Down with sea ice!
Thank God I don't believe in global warming, or I would be getting pretty nervous about now.
ACCELLERATE GLOBAL WARMING!!!
OPEN UP THE ARTIC FISHERIES FOR YEAR ROUND EXPLOITATION!!!!
Yeah! I can't wait until we can start growing coffee and other tropicals here in the Southeast!
Hey, I just thought of something! If the Atlantic Thermohaline circulation is interrupted...the Northeast is going to have one hell of a cold winter!
ACCELLERATE GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!
Hmmm...when the world gives you lemons...make lemonade!
Grow tea, coffee and other tropicals here in the lower 48!
Let's at least try and make some money off the whole global climate change thing!
During the exact same period that the North Polar ice cap has been melting, the South Polar ice cap grew 17%.
The exact same phenomenon was seen on Mars. The North Mars polar cap has retreated, the South Mars polar cap has expanded.
Blaming our own north polar melt exlusively on China is a bit skewed. It has to be a combination of Solar activity, the always shifting magnetic north pole that regulates our magnetosphere including incoming solar flares, and some degree of Methane emmision from Chinese industry.
Carbon is not the culprit. There was more free carbon in the air during the last ice age than now. Plus, Methane is a known Hot House driver.
My guess is that it's the telecommunication satellites ... we need to do away with cell phones to save the planet .... how's that for being alarmist :)
One thing is for certain, continue on this path your on and you can kiss your Fat American Butt goodbuy. Like the Led Zeppelin song goes-"There's still time to change the road your on". Better do it quick. Oh, but then, there is always Mars, it still has a polar ice cap, but this is because your not there.
Ah...another slag parasite spouting anti-American hate...all the while sponging off it's affluence....
Here we go again. another bull@!$%# post to line more pockets of scientist and give them grant money to buy new cars, hookers, etc..
Folks its weather its cyclical and always will be. I have posted thuis time and time again!! What are they going to say when the ice is too thick? That is where we are heading. It will be so cold here in the lower 48 over the next 15 years. Starting with this winter.
Phil
...and antarctic ice cover is at a new record high. but that doesn't fit the narrative, so the "objective, unbiased" mainstream press decides to hide it from the public.
Interesting that this article focus soley on Artic ice melting. Yesterday, Forbes (as well as other news sources) reported that "Antarctic Sea Ice Sets Another Record"
Apparently, Antarctic ice is building up to record levels while the Artic is melting, at least during the summer. Wouldn't it nice if a news source could report on all the facts and let us judge their value instead of giving us half the facts, hiding the other half, and promoting an agenda.
Antarctic ice is not big news, it is up some, but it is above normal by only 1/4 - 1/5 of what the arctic is below normal. It is Winter as well, and you cannot equate minimums with maximums. Having nearly it own weather circulation, the Antarctic is not a good indicator of Global warming. Its melt will not catch up until many decades later, as current belief states. I would bet, it will start declining faster in coming years, like the Arctic has, though.
The Arctic has actually broken everyone of its dozen or so records tracked by researchers this year.
It is truly a startling climatic event with long-term effects, I would say like nothing observed by man before, except for maybe the temporary effects of a volcano.
that is ridiculous. arctic ice fluctuates every year between 4 and 14 million square kilometers. that's a factor of over 3. every year it triples and then recedes.
the only reason why it is so low this year is because of a massive storm in august that broke up the ice. prior to the storm, the ice coverage was ABOVE prior years' levels for that same calendar date. this is a non-event.
I don't know...
I mean..there are "climatologists" and "scientists" who are saying that it's not the sun...
While the sun is at a solar maximum, spewing terawatts of energy into the Earth's atmosphere in the form of CMEs...
While I believe Global Warming is happening, I don't think the scientists know their A$$es from a hole in the ground....