As Arctic Sea Ice Melts, Experts Expect New Low

[marmar]

from The NY Times:



As Arctic Sea Ice Melts, Experts Expect New Low

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 27, 2008


WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Snow and Ice Data Center has reported that sea ice in the Arctic now covers about 2.03 million square miles. The lowest point since satellite measurements began in 1979 was 1.65 million square miles, last September.

With about three weeks left in the Arctic summer, this year could wind up breaking that record, scientists said.

Arctic ice always melts in summer and refreezes in winter. But over the years, more of the ice is lost to the sea with less of it recovered in winter. While ice reflects the sun’s heat, the open ocean absorbs more heat, and the melting accelerates warming in other parts of the world.

Sea ice also serves as primary habitat for threatened polar bears.

“We could very well be in that quick slide downward in terms of passing a tipping point,” said Mark Serreze, a senior scientist at the data center, in Boulder, Colo. “It’s tipping now. We’re seeing it happen now.”

Five climate scientists, four of them specialists on the Arctic, told The Associated Press that it was fair to call what was happening in the Arctic a “tipping point.”

Last year was an unusual year when wind currents and other weather conditions coincided with global warming to worsen sea ice melt, Dr. Serreze said. Scientists wondered if last year was an unusual event or the start of a new and disturbing trend. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/science/earth/28seaice.html

[DCKit]

1. I came across an interesting bit of information yesterday...

which I believe puts this in perspective:

One pound of ice at 32f will chill one pound of 175f water to 32f.

I know it doesn't "sound" right, but that's how much energy is stored in one pound of solid ice.

Now think about how much warming it took to destroy all that ice in the Arctic.