Is stored heat causing Arctic sea ice to freeze later each year?
A reader recently asked if the date of the annual Arctic sea ice minimum is shifting later each year. And if so, is that shift a sign of heat being stored in the Arctic region? According to the...
View ArticleIndustry and ice
As the Arctic Ocean becomes increasingly ice-free, many countries are eager to tap into previously inaccessible northern resources. Energy companies seek drilling permits for oil and natural gas, and...
View ArticleWhat is the Arctic’s new normal?
NSIDC recently switched the baseline against which we analyze Arctic sea ice extent. Previously, we relied on a baseline that coincided with the beginning of the satellite period and stretched 20...
View ArticleAre scientists conservative about sea ice?
Guest post by Walt Meier, NSIDC Scientist Arctic sea ice set a record minimum extent in September 2012, far below the previous record low in 2007. Summer extents have been far lower than average for...
View ArticleAre Arctic cyclones chewing up sea ice?
The Big One The Great Arctic Cyclone of 2012 lifted out of Siberia on August 2nd, swirling in a counter-clockwise rotation up into the Arctic. As one of the most extreme Arctic cyclones ever recorded,...
View ArticleAre we cooling?
After a cool Arctic summer, sea ice at the North Pole has recovered somewhat from last year’s record low extent. While this is a welcome pause in the downward trend of sea ice extent, some are taking...
View ArticleFor sea ice, age matters
Most people picture the Arctic Ocean as miles upon miles of thick sea ice. This icy expanse has become threatened as Arctic sea ice shifts from mainly old ice to much younger, thinner ice. How does...
View ArticleCelebrating 35 years of sea ice satellite data
Polar scientists are celebrating an anniversary of sorts. Thirty-five years ago, sea ice research took a great leap forward. On October 26, 1978, the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR)...
View ArticleIs declining sea ice changing the atmosphere?
Although Arctic sea ice extent did not set a low record this year, it’s still clear that there is less sea ice than there used to be. Scientists are keeping a close eye not only on the dwindling ice,...
View ArticleIs the Arctic Ocean a carbon sink?
We’ve all heard it: Arctic sea ice is melting. Sea ice is thinner year to year and there is less of it. In 2007, scientists observed a nearly 50 percent loss of summer ice as compared to 1980. With...
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