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Earth Science

Arctic Summer Melt Shows Ice Is Disappearing Faster Than Normal (bloomberg.com) 134

Ice covering the Arctic Ocean reached the second-lowest level recorded for this time of year after July temperatures spiked in areas around the North Pole. From a report: The rate of ice loss in the region is a crucial indicator for the world's climate and a closely-watched metric by bordering nations jostling for resources and trade routes. This month's melt is tracking close to the record set in July 2012, the Colorado-based National Snow & Ice Data Center said in a statement. This year's heatwave in the Arctic Circle has led to record temperatures in areas of Alaska, Canada and Greenland, extending long-term trends of more ice disappearing. Ice flows are melting faster than average rates observed over the last three decades, losing an additional 20,000 square kilometers (12,427 miles) of cover per day -- an area about the size of Wales.

Ice begins melting in the Arctic as spring approaches in the northern hemisphere, and then it usually starts building again toward the end of September as the days grow shorter and cooler. The U.K.'s Met Office said that the chance of a record low by September "is higher than it has been in the previous few years." This summer, several dramatic images showing the pace and extent of Arctic ice melt have been seen around the world underlining the harsh reality of global warming and the struggle governments face in trying to slow it down. Globally, June was the hottest year on record, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

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Arctic Summer Melt Shows Ice Is Disappearing Faster Than Normal

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  • It's simple. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Type44Q ( 1233630 ) on Friday July 19, 2019 @04:35PM (#58953778)
    Remember, folks: the Earth isn't warming... but f it is, it's not us; that'd be impossible. And if it is us, there's nothing that can be done... so don't do anything.

    That's how the [Exxon-funded] logic's supposed to go, right??

    • by Anonymous Coward

      At least until the denialist greed comes DIRECTLY into the light... 40 years after the fact. #EARTH'S GREATEST TRAITORS, HANG THEM HIGH! [scientificamerican.com]

    • You forgot a few ... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by DogDude ( 805747 )
      ... the Earth is *always* warming and cooling, so this is nothing unusual. And if it is unusual, there's nothing to worry about, because it's been much much warmer before.
      • by Anonymous Coward

        Except that this is the first time it has warmed so much in so short a time, and we know the reason and the dire consequences.

        Which so far are developing exactly as the scientific scenarios from the 70s predicted.

      • by q_e_t ( 5104099 )
        It's unusual as given our point in the Milankovitch cycle it should be cooling, and was, overall, cooling for the previous 8000 years.
    • I know it's fashionable to be sarcastic, cynical, and condescending with those who don't share your point of view (especially here on /.), but I think it's really important to put it aside. You're not going to win over any converts with that approach. Same with calling them names. Instead of waiting for political leaders to agree on something, why not come up with an action plan that individuals and communities can adopt? And telling them vote for so-and-so or don't vote for so-and-so is not the answer.

  • mean & std dev? (Score:1, Interesting)

    by js290 ( 697670 )
    What's the mean and std dev of melting? What is the correct rate of melting/freezing?
    • The AC that replied to you is having a field day with this topic.

      It behooves one to remember that decades worth of past predictions based on weather events like this have almost invariably been wrong.
      • by js290 ( 697670 )

        The AC that replied to you is having a field day with this topic.

        Lol, yeah... "denialist"... I'm a climate constant denialist :-)

        It behooves one to remember that decades worth of past predictions based on weather events like this have almost invariably been wrong.

        "Ecology... Nature is only model we have that has survived climate change with STUN..." @RestorationAgD http://bit.ly/1ohVqpE [bit.ly]

  • Hmm ... (Score:3, Funny)

    by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Friday July 19, 2019 @04:59PM (#58953922)

    Arctic Summer Melt Shows Ice Is Disappearing Faster Than Normal

    Someone must have re-written it in rust [slashdot.org].

  • Wait, I thought averages meant that the ice had to melt at exactly the average value every year! I mean, what are they saying exactly? It's melting faster than average, but not faster than 2012.... and of course we never publish the data when it's melting slower than normal... so - be alarmed! The huge tidal wave of ocean water is coming to engulf coastal cities! 25cm in the next 500 years! Maybe...
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I hope when the Blue Ocean event eventually comes, the mobs of people will remember "skeptical" fuckwad shills like you that sold us all down the river and drag you out of your home.... to give you what's coming.

      • You know it's funny, but there was a guy in the street with a sign the other day yelling about the end of the world.
        One day he'll be right I suppose.
        In the meantime there have been guys yelling about the end of the world for thousands of years and somehow it hasn't arrived yet.
      • by amorsen ( 7485 )

        You know who will be actually dragged out of their homes and given what they didn't have coming?

        Scientists and science journalists, for failing to tell it how it is.

        Their protests that they DID tell it how it is will fall of deaf ears, just as their predictions did originally.

    • by religionofpeas ( 4511805 ) on Saturday July 20, 2019 @01:00AM (#58955304)

      Looking at long term ice volume is a better indicator than monthly swings in extent.

      http://psc.apl.uw.edu/wordpres... [uw.edu]

      September average has gone from 17 to 5 [1000 km^3] in 4 decades.

  • Each time the snow melts through the previous winters fall it reaches the point where the dirt that was on top before the last years snow fall sits. If you cut into the snow in some places where there has been dust or smoke you will see these layers although in most places it is barely noticeable. So as the snow melts essentially back in time the surface accumulates all the dirt from previous years. If you have ever seen a leaf melt into a snow bank in April you can see how effective this change in colou
    • Most of Arctic ice is younger than 5 years, so the dirt doesn't really accumulate. It's floating on water, so when it melts, the dirt washes away, and when it refreezes and snow falls on it, the first year ice is all clean again.

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