Arctic sea ice report - 15 June, 2019

2 weeks into summer and the Arctic sea ice is starting to break up and melt.

"I'm glad there are some who are producing graphics which are important beyond the traditional ones we see. We get a clearer picture of what is happening. 

PhD student Zack Labe posted this June 12th on Twitter showing the sea ice extent in the *interior* Arctic Ocean...the peripheral Arctic seas and Central Arctic Basin only. 

If you looked at total sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere, it's hanging in record or near-record territory. 

But the ice that's really important for climate implications (albedo, ocean/atmosphere circulations, etc) is where most of it is and it is located in this region. And see how highly anomalous it is compared to even recent years. 

Incredible."

---Nicholas Humphrey

Here is my video

When you look at sea ice extent there is nothing noteworthy

In terms of sea ice extrent according to NSIDC it is still a little below 2012 levels

But honing in on concentration...

A comparison with 2018

This is how the Arctic looked on the same day in 2018

Compared to now

The earliest report on Arctic sea ice that I could find from Margo was July 5, which is indicative - that is about 3 weeks before today's date.

Here is the sea ice extent, which was greater on 5 July than in 2012.



And sea ice extent according to NSIDC

Sea ice concentration - note this is JULY, not mid-June.

This is Margo's first video on Arctic sea ice 

Finally, a comparison with 2012 when extreme conditions destroyed ice which was much thicker and more intact than it is now,