The maximum extent of Arctic sea ice has been present for at least two weeks at about 14.9 million square kilometers – Amazing?

By Polar Bear Science

Dr. Susan Crockford

The US National Snow and Ice Data Center says the Arctic maximum this winter peaks at 14.88 square meter on February 25, but in reality, this ice cover lasted for at least two weeks (February 22 – March 8), with very little variation. Just a little something they all ignore their announcements, for a number of reasons.

These are the NSIDC maps that I have saved to my own archive:

NSIDC scientists calculate an average to two decimal places to arrive at a single peak day.

However, that does not negate the fact that sea ice covered between 14.8 and 15.0 square meters of the Arctic for at least two weeks until March 7 or 8, and that is biologically meaningful. Remember that for long-term (climate) comparison purposes the average for the whole month of March is used (see chart below), not the peak and we won’t know what. there until early April.

Are from NSIDC Report (March 22, 2022):

On February 25, 2022, sea ice in the Arctic could reach its maximum for the year, at 14.88 million square kilometers (5.75 million square miles), the tenth lowest on satellite records. [See their Table 1, below] This year’s maximum of 770,000 square kilometers (297,000 square miles) is lower than the 1981 to 2010 average maximums of 15.65 million square kilometers (6.04 million square miles) and 470,000 square kilometers (182,000 square miles) ) above the lowest maximum of 14.41 million square kilometers (5.56 million square miles) set on March 7, 2017. Prior to 2019, the four lowest maximums occurred between 2015 and 2015. 2018.

The maximum this year, February 25, is fifteen days earlier than the 1981-2010 average of March 12. There are only two years of earlier maximums, 1987 and 1996. , both on February 24. This year is the earliest Monday. on the satellite record, tied to 2015, also peaked on February 25.

The ice growth season ends with near-average sea ice levels in the Bering Sea, above average in Baffin Bay and off the southeastern coast of Greenland, and below average in the Barents Sea with narrow open waters in north of Novaya Zemlya. Levels are below average in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Since its maximum on February 25, range has decreased by about 390,000 square kilometers (151,000 square miles), with damage mainly in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Barents Sea. These losses were offset by profits in the Bering Sea, Baffin Bay and Labrador Sea.

Postscript: on March 20, the amount of ice was reduced to only 14.7 mkm2 (see below).