I am not a graphics wizard, but I took the Arctic Ice image from NSIDC, and graphed the AMO.
And then I flipped the AMO. Looks like AMO has an effect on Arctic Sea Ice.
Category: Arctic Sea Ice
Great Arctic Cyclone 2012 Caused the Record Low
Update: Watch a NASA simulation of the cyclone breaking up the ice.
The Great Arctic Cyclone of 2012 hit on Aug 5 and passed over the North Pole on Aug 6.
“An unusually strong storm formed off the coast of Alaska on Aug. 5, then moved over the central Arctic. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite took the images that make up the mosaic during various passes over the North Pole on Aug. 6, when the storm was swirling over the middle of the Arctic Ocean. According to a NASA statement, there have only been about eight storms of similar strength during the month of August in the last 34 years of satellite records.
Using Jaxa data, note that from July 20 all the way to Aug 5, Arctic Sea Ice area was higher than in 2007. The peak day was Aug 5th, when 2012 was 229,062 sq km more than 2007.
Once the Cyclone hit, the ice broke and melted. It isn’t the apocalypse in the Arctic. It was weather!
| Month | Day | 2007 | 2012 | Difference (2012 – 2007) |
| 7 | 19 | 7363281 | 7344375 | -18906 |
| 7 | 20 | 7271094 | 7317031 | 45937 |
| 7 | 21 | 7167656 | 7279375 | 111719 |
| 7 | 22 | 7066406 | 7220313 | 153907 |
| 7 | 23 | 6972031 | 7131875 | 159844 |
| 7 | 24 | 6858125 | 7025781 | 167656 |
| 7 | 25 | 6781250 | 6977813 | 196563 |
| 7 | 26 | 6688594 | 6885781 | 197187 |
| 7 | 27 | 6594844 | 6792969 | 198125 |
| 7 | 28 | 6527969 | 6723281 | 195312 |
| 7 | 29 | 6479375 | 6650000 | 170625 |
| 7 | 30 | 6428125 | 6556094 | 127969 |
| 7 | 31 | 6375313 | 6499219 | 123906 |
| 8 | 1 | 6324063 | 6467031 | 142968 |
| 8 | 2 | 6217500 | 6437656 | 220156 |
| 8 | 3 | 6109844 | 6329531 | 219687 |
| 8 | 4 | 6001250 | 6214063 | 212813 |
| 8 | 5 | 5890469 | 6119531 | 229062 |
| 8 | 6 | 5815156 | 5931094 | 115938 |
| 8 | 7 | 5724688 | 5760625 | 35937 |
| 8 | 8 | 5649063 | 5585313 | -63750 |
| 8 | 9 | 5565313 | 5510313 | -55000 |
| 8 | 10 | 5527813 | 5404375 | -123438 |
| 8 | 11 | 5468594 | 5307031 | -161563 |
| 8 | 12 | 5421094 | 5261250 | -159844 |
| 8 | 13 | 5379219 | 5178750 | -200469 |
| 8 | 14 | 5347813 | 5102656 | -245157 |
| 8 | 15 | 5307344 | 5040938 | -266406 |
| 8 | 16 | 5241406 | 4939688 | -301718 |
| 8 | 17 | 5194688 | 4823281 | -371407 |
| 8 | 18 | 5166250 | 4721406 | -444844 |
| 8 | 19 | 5121563 | 4681406 | -440157 |
| 8 | 20 | 5075000 | 4594375 | -480625 |
| 8 | 21 | 5009531 | 4532969 | -476562 |
| 8 | 22 | 4948438 | 4456719 | -491719 |
| 8 | 23 | 4908438 | 4337500 | -570938 |
| 8 | 24 | 4875625 | 4209219 | -666406 |
| 8 | 25 | 4847656 | 4138125 | -709531 |
| 8 | 26 | 4818438 | 4096563 | -721875 |
| 8 | 27 | 4773906 | 4066719 | -707187 |
| 8 | 28 | 4724844 | 3996406 | -728438 |
| 8 | 29 | 4664844 | 3912500 | -752344 |
| 8 | 30 | 4616094 | 3877031 | -739063 |
| 8 | 31 | 4607031 | 3836250 | -770781 |
Arctic Sea Ice – Earliest Minimum Ever?
Arctic Sea Ice – Earliest Minimum Ever?
Could that mean a record breaking maximum is on the way? Mar/Apr/May of 2012 flirted with 98% of the 1980s average.
National Ice Center dropped only 30,000 sq km from September 1st to 2nd (still 580,000 sq km more than 2007)
Arctic Sea Ice – National Ice Center – Aug 29 2012
Todays Arctic Sea Ice at the NIC is 5.93 million sq km.
In 2007 on this date it was 5.04 million sq km.
The lowest value reached in 2007 was on September 11 at 4.57 million sq km.
(Ron C wanted me to be clearer about that. And Ron was the person who pointed out the NIC exists).
National Ice Center – 2012 Arctic Sea Ice still 1.5 million sq km above the 2007 low
As an update to yesterdays post, I thought I would point out that the NIC shows Arctic Sea Ice minimum of 4.57 million sq. km. in 2007 on September 11.
That is 1.5 million sq km below todays data. Of course 2012 may still break that low, but it hasn’t yet.
Arctic Sea Ice Above 2007 at National Ice Center
A commenter at Real Science Ron C. says:
“There are two different methods of measuring arctic ice coverage. That is a good thing, just as it is good that we have both land stations and satellites to measure air temperature.
Microwave indices see more water than ice, while NIC index sees more ice than water in mixed conditions. So they will each have distinct results and trends.
My only concern is that the news only reports the microwave results, and ignores the equally valid NIC index. As of today NIC shows artic ice extent tracking slightly above 2007.
The data is available here. Select start year 2006 and month of August.”
Here is the graph:
Arctic Ice 2012 – A little Perspective
To keep the Arctic Sea Ice in perspective, March , April and May of 2012 saw many days where ice extent was 97 or 98% of the 1980s average, which is higher than it has been in years.
Maximum is growing.
| Month | Day | 2012 extent
as % of 80s average |
| 4 | 16 | 98.94 |
| 4 | 15 | 98.9 |
| 4 | 20 | 98.56 |
| 4 | 17 | 98.52 |
| 4 | 21 | 98.46 |
| 4 | 24 | 98.42 |
| 3 | 20 | 98.27 |
| 4 | 3 | 98.26 |
| 4 | 14 | 98.23 |
| 3 | 31 | 98.2 |
| 4 | 1 | 98.16 |
| 3 | 19 | 98.08 |
| 4 | 4 | 98.05 |
| 3 | 30 | 98 |
| 4 | 2 | 97.99 |
| 3 | 17 | 97.97 |
| 4 | 22 | 97.94 |
| 3 | 21 | 97.91 |
| 3 | 28 | 97.91 |
| 4 | 19 | 97.91 |
| 4 | 23 | 97.91 |
| 3 | 29 | 97.87 |
| 3 | 26 | 97.84 |
| 4 | 25 | 97.84 |
| 3 | 18 | 97.83 |
| 4 | 13 | 97.83 |
| 3 | 7 | 97.82 |
| 3 | 6 | 97.8 |
| 3 | 4 | 97.75 |
| 3 | 3 | 97.74 |
| 3 | 22 | 97.72 |
| 3 | 23 | 97.72 |
| 5 | 9 | 97.71 |
| 3 | 27 | 97.68 |
| 3 | 16 | 97.64 |
| 4 | 29 | 97.58 |
| 4 | 10 | 97.49 |
| 5 | 8 | 97.49 |
| 5 | 10 | 97.49 |
| 4 | 7 | 97.48 |
| 5 | 11 | 97.42 |
| 4 | 26 | 97.38 |
| 3 | 5 | 97.35 |
| 4 | 18 | 97.32 |
| 4 | 6 | 97.29 |
| 4 | 12 | 97.22 |
| 4 | 5 | 97.21 |
| 3 | 11 | 97.17 |
| 4 | 28 | 97.17 |
| 4 | 11 | 97.1 |
| 5 | 7 | 97.09 |
| 3 | 2 | 97.03 |
| 4 | 8 | 97.03 |
| 3 | 8 | 97 |
sunshine hours 