Researchers have measured a new record for sea-ice extent in the Antarctic. Why the white splendour is extending there while it is rapidly disappearing in the Arctic is a mystery.
Antarctica: The extent of sea ice (white) reached a record on 22 September. The yellow line shows the median of 1981 to 2000. Ice shelf is shown in gray.
Whenever the ice at the North and South Pole is mentioned, it is mostly in the context of melting ice triggered by global warming. However, the sea ice in Antarctica – in contrast to that in the Arctic – has proved to be remarkably robust. New measurements have now confirmed that. As the U.S. space agency NASA announced, the sea ice in the Antarctic has extended over an area of 19.47 million square meters at the end of September. That is the highest since measurements began in 1979.
The result is based on data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) on board of the Japanese satellite “GCOM-W1″. “The winter maximum has been a record for on the second consecutive year” said Walt Meier, a meteorologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. However, he stressed that it is by no means a rapid growth: The now measured maximum extent is only 3.6 percent above the average maximum extent of 1981 to 2010. “This year, the ice edge extends therefore only 35 kilometres further out to sea than in an average year,” Meier said.
Moreover, the mere extent of sea ice does not necessarily say something about the volume of the ice, because that also depends on the thickness of the frozen layer. And the vast majority of the Antarctic ice mass is located on the Antarctic continent – and there the ice has decreased in recent years as a whole, particularly in West Antarctica.
But why the sea ice is increasing is a mystery. Scientists suspect that a change in the air currents could explain to a great extent the increase in Antarctic sea ice in recent decades. Other speculations are that ocean currents carry cooler surface water to the Antarctic or that the melting water, which flows through massive channels in the ice, decreases the temperature of the surface sea water.
Translation by Philipp Mueller
See full article at Spiegel Online, 21 October 2013
Press Release: Arctic sea ice avoids last year’s record low; Antarctic sea ice edges out last year’s high
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. NSIDC scientists provide Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis content, with partial support from NASA.
This September, sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean fell to the sixth lowest extent in the satellite record, which began in 1979. All of the seven lowest extents have occurred in the last seven years, since 2007. Satellite data analyzed by NSIDC scientists showed that the sea ice cover reached its lowest extent on September 13. Sea ice extent averaged for the month of September was also the sixth lowest in the satellite record.
“A relatively cool and stormy summer helped slow ice loss compared to the last few summers,” said NSIDC scientist Julienne Stroeve. In contrast to 2012, when sea ice reached a new record low in the satellite record, cooler conditions in the Arctic this summer helped to retain more sea ice. “This summer’s extent highlights the complex interaction between natural climate variability and long-term thinning of the ice cover,” Stroeve said.
“For Earth’s ice and snow cover taken as a whole, this year has been a bit of a bright spot within a long-term sobering trend,” said NSIDC director and senior scientist Mark Serreze.
Arctic sea ice, however, continues to be thinner than in past years, as confirmed by direct satellite observations and estimates of ice age, and therefore more vulnerable to breakup by storms, circulating currents, and melt. “While Earth’s cryosphere, that is, its snow and ice cover, got a shot of hope this year, it’s likely to be only a short-term boost,” Serreze said. While most of the ice cover now consists of young, thin ice, a pack of multiyear ice remains in the central Arctic. Multiyear ice is ice that has survived more than one melt season and is thicker than first-year ice.
Arctic sea ice extent reached its lowest point this year on September 13, 2013 when sea ice extent dropped to 5.10 million square kilometers (1.97 million square miles). Averaged over the month of September, ice extent was 5.35 million square kilometers (2.07 million square miles). This places 2013 as the sixth lowest ice extent, both for the daily minimum extent and the monthly average. September ice extent was 1.17 million square kilometers (452,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average.
The Arctic ice cap grows each winter as the sun sets for several months and shrinks each summer as the sun rises higher in the northern sky. Each year the Arctic sea ice reaches its annual minimum extent in September. It hit a new record low in 2012. This summer’s low ice extent continued the downward trend seen over the last thirty-four years. Scientists attribute this trend in large part to warming temperatures caused by climate change. Since 1979, September Arctic sea ice extent has declined by 13.7 percent per decade. Summer sea ice extent is important because, among other things, it reflects sunlight, keeping the Arctic region cool and moderating global climate.
In addition to the decline in sea ice extent, a two-dimensional measure of the ice cover, the ice cover has grown thinner and less resistant to summer melt. Recent data on the age of sea ice, which scientists use to estimate the thickness of the ice cover, shows that the youngest, thinnest ice, which has survived only one or two melt seasons, now makes up the majority of the ice cover.
As the Arctic was reaching its minimum extent for the year, Antarctic sea ice was reaching record high levels, culminating in a Southern Hemisphere winter maximum extent of 19.47 million square kilometers (7.52 million square miles) on September 22. The September 2013 monthly average was also a record high, at 19.77 million square kilometers (7.63 million square miles) slightly higher than the previous record in 2012. Scientists largely attribute the increase in Antarctic sea ice extent to stronger circumpolar winds, which blow the sea ice outward, increasing extent.
In contrast to the sharp downward trend in September Arctic sea ice, Antarctic September sea ice has been increasing at 1.1 percent per decade relative to the 1981 to 2010 average. “The tiny gain in Antarctica’s ice is an interesting puzzle for scientists,” said NSIDC lead scientist Ted Scambos. “The rapid loss of ice in the Arctic should be ringing alarm bells for everyone.”
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To the best of my knowledge there has been no decrease in the ice on the continental land mass of Antarctica. To the contrary, every study I have seen recently shows an Antarctic ice mass increasing.
You either have “global” ice melting or not at all – you can’t have it both ways. The Arctic ice is recovering and the Antarctic is growing – it says so directly in this article. Where’s the “global” warming if the Antarctic ice is growing? There is no escape from both these statements. They ask “why” because they are claiming “global” warming. The Antarctic is calling them a liar as is the Arctic. Nature speaks – she ain’t following the IPCC scrip, or the MSM scrip, or Obama’s scrip.
Typo – should be script each time.
In answer to why the Arctic is not expanding as rapidly as the Antarctica a Dr Johnson in a non-peer writing about the affects of the Med Sea on the warming and cooling of the Earth pointed out the Antarctica is the feeder to the Arctic in terms of colder water.
Thus we must watch the Antarctica to know what will happen to the Arctic via the Atlantic Ocean Conveyor Belt of warm a cold waters
Sincerely
Paul Pierett
I guess it was fairly obvious from the text, but you could have warned us up front that the first excerpt was from Der Spiegel!
In all excerpts, the spin is ferocious, making them hard to read over the noise of the BS-Buzzer.
As at the 18th October, extent is still running at 998,000 sq km above normal.
With the Arctic ice running at 728,000sq km below normal, this means that global sea ice is 270,000 sq km above the 1981-2010 norm.
Walt Meier and Mark Serreze. Hmm. It seems to me those two stepped from the plane without a parachute long ago. I’m surprised they haven’t come down to earth yet. However the bigger they are the harder they fall. (Splat.)
Serreze’s way of describing cold as a good thing shows he has no idea where our food comes from. The farmers of South Dakota might beg to differ with his outlook, with as many as 100,000 of their cows killed by the freak blizzard in early October.
I think that blizzard deserves another post, now that we know how huge the loss of cattle was. What strikes me as strange is that the cold air that caused the early snows seemingly developed south of the Pole. It was “home grown” cold, in a manner of speaking. I find it a little unnerving that such cold can develop in early October, without an arctic outbreak providing direct transport from the north. It does not suggest “our planet has a fever” at all.
As average Antarctic temperatures have not increased since 1979 either something else must be causing this (Less precipitation? volcanic activity in West Antarctica?) or they are telling porkies
Or there’s been an increase in sunlight sublimation and a decrease in snowfall.
Arctic sea ice extent reached its lowest point this year on September 13, 2013 when sea ice extent dropped to 5.10 million square kilometers (1.97 million square miles).This places 2013 as the sixth lowest ice extent, both for the daily minimum extent and the monthly average.
This statement is incorrect.
This year’s minimum was 5.079 million sq km, and was the highest since 2006, making it the 7th lowest, not 6th.
2009 was the next highest at 5.054.
For some reason, NSIDC seem reluctant to mention that this fact.
http://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/arctic-ice-minimum-highest-since-2006/
Looks as if the Arctic is heading in the same direction.
Press release typo:
Sept Antarctic ice average area 10.77 million sq km, peak extent 19.47 million.
Does anyone read these before they go out?
Typo; 19.77 million sq km average area. Guess I don’t read comments either 😉
Walt Meier used to be a valuable and respected contributor to this blog, both in comments and with an occasional blog post. Since he has been designated the official spokesperson on sea ice matters and now has to give the official company line with it’s attendant dichotomy of explanations in respect of North and South polar ice, it seems that he too has sold his soul.
…But why the sea ice is increasing is a mystery. …
No it’s not a mystery at all. It’s GLOBAL WARMING! Everything unusual that happens in the climate is global warming. That science was settled long ago.
Of course, the precise mechanism is a mystery, for which we require large funds to research the problem. It may be that carbon dioxide has driven lots of steam up into the stratosphere and interfered with the ozone layer, letting all the heat escape through the hole. A few trillion should let us start examining this possibility. But whatever is causing the extra ice, it must be driven by GLOBAL WARMING….
Presumably when they talk about records, they are only talking about ‘since records began in 1979’ In which case, they should always stste this when talking records. I’m sure the ‘records’ are of little significants in the longer time scale.
Interesting press release. Many numbers, but no mention of 2012 Arctic minimum number or the difference between the 2012 and 2013 numbers. I wonder why.
I think Walt Meier just took a new position at Nasa Goddard Space Flight Centre (Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory) and this release was probably Walt’s last task at the NSIDC.
Walt Meier has been a very positive influence for this website, answering questions many times and even submitting some articles. I’m also assuming he has been working behind the scenes to improve processes for the release of data from the NSIDC which has improved by an order of magnitude in the last few years. Thanks Walt.
“…Southern Hemisphere winter maximum extent of 19.47 million square kilometers (7.52 million square miles) on September 22. The September 2013 monthly average was also a record high, at 19.77 million square kilometers (7.63 million square miles)…”
Is this some kind of new death spiral where the average is higher than the maximum?
Weird science…
Regarding the record Antarctic sea ice area, there are only three possible explanations for the increase:
– the ocean surface temperature has fallen [simple enough and I think we can chalk this up as 100% true since that is what the data shows – air temps, however were well-below normal from May to July this year but have gone up in the last few months so probably more of an ocean temp influence than an air/troposphere one];
– the ocean has developed less salinity as more fresh water (precip, or ice-melt) has entered the ocean surface and less salty water freezes at higher temperature [100% wrong, the ocean around Antarctica is more than salty enough to keep the ocean-freeze temperature at -1.9C to -2.0C; it would need to decline by quite a bit to raise the ocean-freeze temperature; precip data shows there is no change or even a slight decline in precip in the Antarctic sea ice area – ice-melt in Antarctic winter? come on];
– weather synoptics has spread the ice around and out, allowing more open water to freeze and the extent to expand [potentially true and this is a very important process in the Arctic basin for example – but we need to see better evidence for this and not just hand-waving – it needs to have changed from its normal very stormy, very windy conditions to something even stronger].
It might have something to do with the thermal bipolar seesaw and AMO, but I haven’t had a close look.
What a pathetic press release. Antarctic sea ice sets a record high and it’s mentioned only in the last two paragraphs of a nine-paragraph press release?! It isn’t even mentioned in the lead!? What scaremongers! Their bias couldn’t be more obvious.
“A relatively cool and stormy summer helped slow ice loss compared to the last few summers,” said NSIDC scientist Julienne Stroeve. In contrast to 2012, when sea ice reached a new record low in the satellite record, cooler conditions in the Arctic this summer helped to retain more sea ice.
Right. “Relatively cool” my ass. Wasn’t below average all summer? No mention of the storm that broke up Arctic ice and sped up ice loss in 2012, either. Stroeve drank the Kool-Aid or her snout is deep in the global warming trough.
“The tiny gain in Antarctica’s ice is an interesting puzzle for scientists,” said NSIDC lead scientist Ted Scambos. “The rapid loss of ice in the Arctic should be ringing alarm bells for everyone.”
Isn’t this the purest manifestation of confirmation bias you have ever read?
I think for the moment the total result of the circulation systems on Earth ventilates more energy to the Arctic than to the Antarctic?
Melting ice absorbs CO2, freezing water expels it – deal with it.