There has been a 1.5 per cent increase in sea ice each decade since records began in 1979.
Antarctica – An area more than twice as big as the contiguous United States now covered by sea ice. (British Antarctic Survey)
Scientists say the extent of Antarctic sea ice cover now stands at its highest level since records began, says ABC news in Australia
Satellite imagery reveals an area of about 7.6 million sq miles (20 million sq km) covered by sea ice around the Antarctic continent.
Jan Lieser from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) said the discovery was made two days ago.
“This is an area covered by sea ice which we’ve never seen from space before,” he said.
“That is roughly double the size of the Antarctic continent and about three times the size of Australia.”
It is also more than double the size of the entire contiguous United States, which covers 3,119,884.69 square miles (8,080,464.25 km²).
Record Antarctic sea ice:
- Antarctic sea ice covers 19.619 million sq km (7.574 million sq miles)
- Maximum area recorded on September 12, 2014.
- Third year in a row a record has been reached.
- There has been a 1.5 per cent increase each decade since records began in 1979.
Including the obligatory nod to global warming (of course), the article quotes Tony Worby, CEO of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC, arguing that our warming atmosphere is leading to greater sea ice coverage by changing wind patterns.
How much ice will it take, I wonder, before we admit that “global warming” is the least of our worries?
Will the ice need to continue all the way up to Cape Horn, blocking the Drake Passage?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-14/record-coverage-of-antarctic-sea-ice/5742668
Thanks to Kurt Strom and Dan Sommerfeld for this link