Sea ice extent as of March 30 in the Bering Sea is almost exactly at the 1991-2020 median and 30 percent higher than the end of March last year in NSIDC data. Ice loss in Kuskokwim and Bristol Bays has been notable in the past week, while in the central Bering Sea, the ice edge has been pushed south a bit by moderate north winds. #akwx#Arctic#SeaIce#Spring2024 @Climatologist49@ZLabe
This ornately-patterned marine mammal inhabits frigid waters in the Arctic. It can dive as deep as 1,968 ft (600 m) in search of food such as crustaceans, fish, and cephalopods!
Have a great weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 15th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 260,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 130,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 660,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 980,000 km² below the 1980s mean
Being Sea 2024 maximum sea ice extent has been reached in NSIDC data. The max extent almost exactly the same as last year but occurred a month later. The max extent was about 14 percent below the 1991-2020 average and was the latest since 2016. #akwx#Arctic#SeaIce#climate @Climatologist49@ZLabe
Simulated reconstruction of March #Arctic sea ice thickness since 1901. Interannual variability and a decline in recent years.
Information about this dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0008.1. Note that the data is only available through 2010 due to use of ERA-20C forcing.
Transition time of year... central #Arctic (e.g. >80°N) continues to be very cold for weeks after the annual sea-ice extent max. However, this max is reached in March due to melting sea ice in the marginal seas - note how far south they extend! Graphic at https://zacklabe.com/arctic-climate-seasonality-and-variability/.
Have a good week! Here's your Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 15th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 180,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 280,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 760,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 1,180,000 km² below the 1980s mean
Most of the #Arctic is experiencing warming temperatures over the last four decades in March. This is largest in the Barents Sea region and corresponds to losses of sea ice cover (turbulent fluxes).