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[Phys-L] Unusual Arctic warmth and low sea ice



I thought these reports on current climate conditions would be of interest.

1. The National Snow & Ice Data Center reported earlier this month that total sea ice in both hemispheres was very low:

“Sea ice tracking low in both hemispheres”
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2018/02/sea-ice-tracking-low-in-both-hemispheres/

“In the Southern Hemisphere, after January 11 sea ice began tracking low, leading to a January average extent that was the second lowest on record. The lowest extent for this time of year was in 2017. Extent is below average in the Ross Sea and the West Amundsen Seas, while elsewhere extent remains close to average. The low ice extent is puzzling, given that air temperatures at the 925 hPa level are near average or below average (relative to the 1981 to 2010 period) over much of the Southern Ocean. “

This may be a reflection of increased ocean heat content in the Southern Ocean. Ice formation during the coming ice season will shed light on this.

2. Exceptionally warm conditions in the Arctic have persisted throughout much of the northern hemisphere winter.

https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/really-extreme-global-weather-event-leaves-scientists-aghast-20180226-p4z1q4.html

[This is an unusually thorough and well-documented press report, with more detail than one sees in either the Washington Post or the New York Times; in particular, one should note the link to Zach Labe’s Arctic Ice data at UCI:
http://sites.uci.edu/zlabe/arctic-temperatures/]

The 2m temperature anomaly reported by Climate Re-Analyzer shows this pattern quite clearly.
http://cci-reanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#t2anom (note that this will give the anomaly of the day, depending on when one views this site).

On a personal note, my wife and I have retired and moved to northern New Hampshire. One month ago, our temperatures were reaching -30°F during the ‘bombogenesis’ event - the same type of storm that killed the young climber Kate Matresova three years ago in the northern Presidential range here in New Hampshire; two days ago, our high was over +60°F. Both of these are extreme weather events.

It now appears that open waters in the Arctic Ocean will soon be a regular summer pattern. These data should be troubling to those sitting on the fence regarding climate change.

Regards,

Jim Diamond
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry
Linfield College
McMinnville, OR 97218