1979: 16855 km3,
2012: 3261 km3,
3261 / 16855 = 19.3%
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Global Warming: 2012 = 10th warmest year globally since 1880, and the 36th in a row above the 20th century average.
The 21st century's 12 years to date all rank among the 14 warmest on record. - StarTribune 1/16/13
See beginning around 12:12 in the Dr. Jennifer Francis tape in the OP, why this melting of Arctic sea ice is causing weather extremes: More warming in the Arctic is melting sea ice leaving larger patches of open water. Since ice reflects most of the sun's energy back into space while water absorbs most of the energy and heats up, this decreasing amount of Arctic ice is causing more Arctic warming. The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the northern hemisphere, reducing the temperature gradient between the arctic and the tropics.
The jet stream is produced by the arctic - tropics temperature gradient. A reduced temperature gradient reduces the jet stream's strength, and it meanders more (similar to a river meanders more when it hits a flat plain where there is very little elevation gradient). The jet stream meanders north and south. When part of the jet stream meanders northward, that means tropical weather pushes further north than usual, accentuating heat waves. And when part of the jet stream meanders southward, that means polar air pushes further southward more, accentuating cold waves in the winter. So in short that's why we're seeing both stronger heat waves and stronger cold waves than in the past.
So the next time we have an unusual cold wave and your right-wing brother-in-law blathers about how this proves how silly Al Gore is, you'll be able to explain why we are seeing intense cold waves (and intense hot waves) more often.
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