Coldest Comparable Arctic Temps In 50 Years

[Sinatra]

The average Arctic temps remain below 0 degrees C, the latest time of year in 50 years this has happened.

It is likely this will add to the already 9% increase in total Arctic ice that took place in 2007.


Arctic temperature is still not above 0°C – the latest date in fifty years of record keeping « Watts Up With That?

 

[Old Rocks]

Melt season gains momentum

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After a slow start to the melt season, ice extent declined quickly in May. Scientists are monitoring the ice pack for signs of what will come this summer. The thinness of the ice pack makes it likely that the minimum ice extent will again fall below normal, but how far below normal will depend on atmospheric conditions through the summer.

Figure 1. Arctic sea ice extent for May 2009, was 13.39 million square kilometers (5.17 million square miles). The magenta line shows the 1979 to 2000 median extent for that month. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole. Sea Ice Index data. About the data.
—Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center

High-resolution image

Overview of conditions

Sea ice extent averaged over the month of May 2009 was 13.39 million square kilometers (5.17 million square miles). This was 81,000 square kilometers (31,000 square miles) above the record low for that month, which occurred in May 2004, and 21,000 square kilometers (8,100 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average.
Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis

 

[Old Rocks]

Winds and temperature

The Arctic saw warmer than usual temperatures between Greenland and Svalbard and in the East Siberian and Laptev seas. This is consistent with the atmospheric circulation pattern for May. Two high pressure cells, one centered over the Barents and Laptev seas and the other extending along the northern coast of Alaska into northwestern Canada, produced southerly wind patterns that promote high temperatures. The area around the Canadian Arctic Islands was cooler than normal.
Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis

 

[cmaddog111]

Also, the antarctic temp is decreasing because of the ozone hole.

"Our results show the complexity of climate change across the Earth. While there is increasing evidence that the loss of sea ice in the Arctic has occurred due to human activity, in the Antarctic human influence through the ozone hole has had the reverse effect and resulted in more ice. Although the ozone hole is in many ways holding back the effects of greenhouse gas increases on the Antarctic, this will not last, as we expect ozone levels to recover by the end of the 21st Century. By then there is likely to be around one third less Antarctic sea ice."

So apparently we need our Chloro-Floro-Carbons (CFCs) back.

 

[sealybobo]

I saw a special yesterday that said the arctic could be completely ice free by 2017. And polar bears have to nurse their babies in the water.

Things are bad.

And human pollution is causing it. Yet we will argue with the corporations and their lap dogs for years about it so they can continue to pollute for profit.

I say if they are wrong, we get to socialize their profits for 50 years.

And if they are right, we don't charge them taxes for 50 years.

 

[sealybobo]

Its funny all these "experts" on USMB don't sound anything like the real experts. The scientists and people in the Arctic seem to disagree with the nay sayers. Interesting.

Just like every other issue. The right denied we have/had a problem in iraq, the economy, healthcare, jobs going overseas, afganistan, etc.

They just don't want to pay for the solutions.

The answer to every problem is raise taxes on the rich.

 

[cmaddog111]

We don't need to raise taxes. We just don't need $20,000 spent on a trip to NY to see a play by our president. If we cut out all the unnecessary spending, I bet we would save a lot of money that could be put towards other, more important things.

 

[Oddball]

 

[Sinatra]

Its funny all these "experts" on USMB don't sound anything like the real experts. The scientists and people in the Arctic seem to disagree with the nay sayers. Interesting.

Just like every other issue. The right denied we have/had a problem in iraq, the economy, healthcare, jobs going overseas, afganistan, etc.

They just don't want to pay for the solutions.

The answer to every problem is raise taxes on the rich.

No matter how how much more taxes are raised on the rich, you will still have a tiny penis.

So take your rich-envy elsewhere