Arctic Sea Ice Braces for Major Blow

[GliderGuider]

With ‘Warm Storm’ at Its Heart and Heatwaves Rushing in From The Sides, Arctic Sea Ice Braces for Major Blow
Over the past month, warmth and energy have been building in the Arctic. All around, from Siberia to Scandinavia to Alaska, heatwaves have flared beneath anomalous long-wave patterns in the Jet Stream. Patterns, that in many cases have persisted for months. The Alaskan heat dome sent temperatures there to 98 degrees (Fahrenheit). Temperatures in Siberia flared to the low 90s. And heat built and flared again in Scandinavia and Northeastern Europe, sending Arctic temperatures first into the 80s and then to 92.

This building and highly anomalous heat was coupled by another unusual event — a long duration series of Arctic storms that have thinned and weakened large sections of sea ice near the North Pole. This Persistent Arctic Cyclone has flared and faded, remaining in the Arctic since late May.

The first hint that the Arctic may be at the start of a precipitous fall in sea ice came when the major monitors all went negative. Cryosphere Today, Jaxa, NSIDC — all these key monitors show Arctic sea ice coverage falling sharply over the past two days.

You can vividly see this declining curve in the most recent NSIDC graph:

anyone?

http://robertscribbler.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/with-warm-storm-at-its-heart-and-heatwaves-rushing-in-from-the-sides-arctic-sea-braces-for-major-blow/

[GliderGuider]

1. And an animated look at the developing North Pole Puddle

[truebrit71]

10. Blimey!!!

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. That hole is quite frightening

An ice-free pole looks highly likely this year.

[chervilant]

2. We'd better have popcorn while we can...

If any of our children survive what's coming, they'll be able to tell their grandchildren that we once had so much food that we threw away obscene quantities, and even used popcorn as packing material.

[longship]

4. You want popcorn?

The corn belt is in the midst of a draught. And you want popcorn?

There isn't going to be corn to pop, let alone for alternative fuels.

Heaven help us.

[chervilant]

9. Well, durn!

I found some non-GMO popcorn. Allegedly, non-GMO. But, I have a molar that's giving me fits, so I can't eat it. Maybe I'll just pop some and use it for packing material.

[GliderGuider]

3. Worst Case Melt Scenario May be Emerging

One more para from the same blogpost:

So by late June, it appears that the worst case melt scenario — with a storm hollowing out and melting the Arctic sea ice from the center and powerful warm air pulses delivered by a mangled Jet Stream rapidly melting the sea ice from its edges — may be emerging. A start to a ‘melt cliff’ that occurred this week, therefore, may extend and rapidly advance over the coming days. Model ensembles seem to support this forecast even as atmospheric heat delivery to the Arctic ramps up. It is an extreme situation that is well worth monitoring.

[jimlup]

5. This is honestly scary to watch

I fear that we are far into the worst case on several other indicators too. I've been waiting to see if we'd get a melt cliff like this and now it is here. I think we will be repeating the pattern of '07, '12 or worse. It seems that the arctic ice has sifted to a new summer instability.

[GliderGuider]

8. I think so too.

Now the tipping points are becoming visible in "real time".

[RobertEarl]

12. Yep. Visible

These are tipping points we are seeing. The ice melting because of the warmer than usual waters, is introducing weather that the Arctic has not experienced in many a lifetime.

The cause and effect simplicity is amazing to witness.

What the effects are can only result in big changes. 350 asl seems the wisest place to camp, eh?

[pscot]

6. K&R

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Watched "Chasing Ice" last night...very very grim proof of the melting glaciers.

Here is the now famous TED talk with some of those amazing pictures: