New Data on Arctic Ice Meltdown the Latest 'Climate Siren'
The National Snow and Ice Data Center found Arctic sea ice this year reached its fourth lowest level in recorded history - Common Dreams
Arctic sea ice this year reached its fourth lowest level in recorded history, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) revealed Tuesday, in what scientists and climate campaigners say is a disturbing reminder that human-made global warming continues to worsen.
"The minimum ice extent was the fourth lowest in the satellite record, and reinforces the long-term downward trend in Arctic ice extent," the Boulder, Colorado-based NSIDC said. "The lowest extent this year, reached on September 11, was 1.7 million square miles. That’s quite low, but still 394,000 square miles above the low extent that occurred Sept. 17, 2012, when ice only covered 1.31 million square miles at the top of the world."
However, the NSIDC noted an overall disturbing trend: "The nine lowest extents in the satellite era have all occurred in the last nine years."
Further, in a discussion of the findings, NASA noted on Tuesday: "The sea ice decline has accelerated since 1996. The 10 lowest minimum extents in the satellite record have occurred in the last 11 years."
Julienne Seroide, a senior scientist at NSIDC, told Common Dreams that "the long-term trends towards less ice in the Arctic is definitely linked to increases in greenhouse gases and a warming arctic.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
