Arctic Ice July 2010 - Update #2
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - 19:14
in Earth & Climate
Arctic Ice July 2010 - Update #2 Something strange is going on. Arctic watcher blogs are abuzz with talk about the behaviour of graphics which are supposed to show ice extent, area or volume. many of these graphics seem to show that the Arctic melt has stopped. Which it hasn't. Historically, the main pack was always thick multi-year ice. Ice would be lost at the edges in summer, and the new winter ice would be pressed into the main pack by the various drift motions. As ice motion opened a new lead it would rapidly freeze over - even in summer. As the ice expanded by cracking it actually made new ice. Summer melt would nibble at the ice margins, but the losses would be made good in winter. read more