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Arctic Ice Extent Tops 2012's, But Is 6th Lowest In History

Posted by timothy on from the nicest-arsonist-on-the-block dept.

We mentioned recently the rebound in Arctic ice levels compared to those found at the end of last summer; now that the 2013 minimum has been reached, Forbes' Alex Knapp points out that 2013's figures still show the 6th lowest ice extent in recorded history. "This pattern is expected to continue as average global temperatures continue to rise, leading to further Arctic Ice melts. The volume of sea ice – that is, how thick the Arctic ice is, has also been steadily declining over the same period. And although the charts above only go back to the 80s, the loss of sea ice began several decades prior to that. In 2011, a paper published in Nature estimating Arctic ice extent for the past 1450 years shows a sharp decline in Arctic ice beginning in the mid-20th century."

4 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Re:history? by haruchai · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Danes have excellent records going back to the '30s.
    And let's not forget that the volume is also dropping precipitously but that's much more difficult to measure.

    --
    Pain is merely failure leaving the body
  2. Re:history? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    True, but you can make some deductions from biology. The existence of polar bears, not to mention their threatened status with receding ice, paints a picture of a lot of ice going way back: had there been no ice 100 years ago, there would be no polar bears. 100 years isn't time enough for them to evolve from brown bears.

  3. Arctic ice is a ridiculous liberal myth by El+Puerco+Loco · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nothing resembling "the arctic" is ever mentioned in the Bible.

  4. Re:history? by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 5, Informative

    They failed after being there for 500 years. The first 400 must have been warm enough to keep them there and in good health.

    It was only later that the climate cooled, and they were forced to change their lifestyle, and finally leave Greenland.

    So my point stands: When it was that warm in Greenland, it was certainly warm in Canada and Alaska. So where did the polar bears live, if warmer water is lethal to them?

    .
    PS. This article says the Vikings actually adapted to the colder climate, and ate more seal meat as their livestock dwindled over the colder years. They only left in the end because they couldn't trade for needed materials anymore.
    http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/archaeologists-uncover-clues-to-why-vikings-abandoned-greenland-a-876626.html

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.