National Ice Center - Svalbard About 50% Ice-Free 2/23 - Much Of W. Greenland To Arctic Circle Also

[hatrack]

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Only 35 weeks until peak melt!

I have a feeling that this is going to be in the news this year ... often.

Maybe even as often as Britney and Kevin.

--p!

[Porcupine]

2. I have a hard time reading/interpreting these maps.

If my understanding is correct this area should have several feet of sea ice on it at this point and should not even be accesable by icebreakers until april or so. It there is no ice there is simultaneosly less phytoplankton to capture carbon and the open sea collecting heat.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but this is another OH SHIT moment.

[nannah]

3. k & r: i wish these stories would move to greatest;

IMHO they are more important that who is running in 2008; people need to know about finite resources like water, oil and understand elements of climate change so they can make decisions based on reality.

[Systematic Chaos]

4. That is just plain frightening.

I know that Greenland is never completely icelocked, but to have so little ice that far north is amazing.

And shouldn't Svalbard be completely surrounded by ice right now? What are considered to be the historic norms for that area?

[kestrel91316]

5. Um, excuse me, but ..............

isn't there supposed to be SOLID ICE up there in the winter????????