| Thu Jun. 14, 2012 11:21 AM PDT
This week the extent of Arctic sea ice dipped below the extent for 2007, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). As you may remember, the 2007 season holds the record for lowest Arctic sea-ice extent in recorded history.
Walt Meier at NSIDC tells me the melt is accelerating, notably in the
Bering Sea, where higher than normal winter ice hung around two to four
weeks longer than average. But it's thawing fast now.
The Beaufort Sea north of Alaska and Canada and the Laptev Sea north
of Siberia are also melting quickly. "We don't normally see ice opening
so fast in those areas," says Meier. "This is an indication that the
ice there is pretty thin."
As you can see from the satellite mosaic of the Arctic for today, 14 June (above), the rapidly melting Laptev Sea lies at the downstream end of the mighty Lena River in Siberia. The Beaufort Sea lies at the downstream end of Canada's mightiest river, the MacKenzie River (delta not visible)—where May temperatures rose well above the 20th-century average (see last image, below). READ MORE
As you can see from the satellite mosaic of the Arctic for today, 14 June (above), the rapidly melting Laptev Sea lies at the downstream end of the mighty Lena River in Siberia. The Beaufort Sea lies at the downstream end of Canada's mightiest river, the MacKenzie River (delta not visible)—where May temperatures rose well above the 20th-century average (see last image, below). READ MORE
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