[Reader-list] Arctic ice

[Nagraj Adve]

Sobering info from the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre.
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May 2010 compared to past years

Average ice extent for May 2010 was 480,000 square kilometers (185,000
square miles) greater than the record low for May, observed in 2006,
and 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles) below the average
extent for the month. The linear rate of decline for May over the 1979
to 2010 period is now -2.41% per decade.

The rate of decline through the month of May was the fastest in the
satellite record; the previous year with the fastest daily rate of
decline in May was 1980. By the end of the month, extent fell near the
level recorded in 2006, the lowest in the satellite record for the end
of May. Despite the rapid decline through May, average ice extent for
the month was only the ninth lowest in the satellite record.

Persistent warmth in the Arctic

Arctic air temperatures averaged for May were above normal, continuing
the temperature trend that has persisted since last winter.
Temperatures were 2 to 5 degrees Celsius (4 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit)
above average across much of the Arctic Ocean. A strong anticyclone
centered over the Beaufort Sea produced southerly winds along the
shores of Siberia (in the Laptev and East Siberian seas), resulting in
warmer-than-average temperatures in this area. The Canadian Arctic
Islands were an exception to the general trend, with temperatures
slightly cooler than average over much of the region.