Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 8:47:03 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Arctic Ice at 2nd-Smallest Level

Posted Sep 17, 08 2:26 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Arctic sea ice shrunk to its second-lowest size this summer, up 10% from last year's record, reports Reuters. The melting may not appear as noteworthy as that of 2007, said one research scientist, but the season's conditions prove otherwise. Last year's mix of warm air and favorable winds shifted the ice, prodding the melt; this year was cooler and lacked winds, "yet we still came pretty close to the record," said Walt Meier.

"In terms of long-term climate, it's not a recovery in any sense of the word," he said. "The long-term trend is still steeply downward and getting steeper." One channel of the Northwest Passage remained open for a second time this year; the Northern Sea Route, which runs along the Siberian Cost, opened for the first time. Since 1979 summer ice cover has dropped 33%.

Source Reuters

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Both Arctic Passages Navigable for First Time

    Aug 28, 08 3:41 PM CDT
    Both Arctic Passages Navigable for First Time In what scientists say is an historic moment, both Northeast and Northwest Passages are navigable as of this week, and shipping firms are salivating over the  possibilities, Der Spiegel reports. With an increasing number of largely ice-free days every summer, the radical shortcuts offered by the once-treacherous routes will eventually be incredibly profitable. At least one company is poised and eager to exploit them, when Russian authorities come through with permits.
    More »

  • Huge New Cracks Seen in Arctic Ice Shelf

    May 24, 08 6:24 AM CDT
    A Canadian expedition has found a major new network of cracks, more than 10 miles long, in the Arctic's ice shelves, the BBC reports. Scientists say the huge shelves are disintegrating; pieces become "ice islands" that can float hundreds of miles away as climate changes takes hold. Arctic sea ice shrank to a record low last year and could melt even further this summer, accelerating a scramble for the Arctic's resources. More »

  • Arctic Melt Nears 'Tipping Point'

    Sep 30, 07 2:15 PM CDT
    Arctic Melt Nears 'Tipping Point' Arctic ice has shrunk so significantly this past summer that scientists fear the region is at a dangerous "tipping point" that could trigger accelerated melting and dangerous consequences for weather patterns and environments. Ice shrank 20% below 2005’s record low. Scientists theorize that the darker sea holds more heat than the reflective ice and will cause even more melting more quickly. More »

  • Sailors Find Iceless NW Passage

    Sep 13, 07 8:40 PM CDT
    Sailors Find Iceless NW Passage It's smooth sailing in the Arctic nowadays. Even in recent years, the ice was apt to claim adventurers who dared navigate the Northwest Passage. This year the passage has no ice. And with global warming claiming some 38,000 square miles of ice a year, the Journal reports, the Arctic could be open to commercial and recreational sailing by 2020. More »

This graphic image provided by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, shows the daily Arctic sea ice extent for September 12, 2008, which was 4.52 million square kilometers (1.74 million square miles)....   (AP Photo/National Snow and Ice Data Center)
In this July 29, 2008 file photo large pieces of ice are seen drifting off after separating from the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf. .   (AP Photo/Sam Soja, The Canadian Press)
Ice floes form patterns in Baffin Bay above the arctic circle as viewed from the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent Thursday, July 10, 2008.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

climate change • Arctic • ice melt • Arctic sea ice • Arctic Ocean • Northwest Passage


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »