[Vision2020] NSIDC: July 18, 2011: Rapid 2011 Summer Decline: Ice Extent Tracking Below Record Low 2007 Extent

[Ted Moffett]

The PIOMAS Arctic ice volume
http://psc.apl.washington.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/schweiger/ice_volume/BPIOMASIceVolumeAnomalyCurrentV2.png?<?php)
is
a more meaningful indicator of the effects of polar amplification from
anthropogenic climate warming than ice extent, but Arctic ice extent also
reveals a continuing trend in 2011 of ice loss that is occurring faster than
some IPCC climate models predicted.  These IPCC climate models, often
attacked for exaggerating climate change, were actually conservative:  30
April 2007: Models Underestimate Loss of Arctic Sea Ice:
http://nsidc.org/news/press/20070430_StroeveGRL.html
Now both the PIOMAS volume and Arctic ice extent data show record low values
for this time of year, though there are a couple of months left in the
summer season for these values to change significantly to above previous
record low values for the final summer ending readings:

http://nsidc.org/images/arcticseaicenews/20110718_Figure2.png
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/index.html July 18, 2011 Early sea ice
melt onset, snow cover retreat presage rapid 2011 summer decline
Arctic sea ice extent declined at a rapid pace through the first half of
July, and is now tracking below the year 2007, which saw the record minimum
September extent. The rapid decline in the past few weeks is related to
persistent above-average temperatures and an early start to melt. Snow cover
over Northern Eurasia was especially low in May and June, continuing the
pattern seen in April.
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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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