Update 20150624.
Changes from 20150617.
Extent: -363.5 (+148k vs 2014, -371k vs 2013, +397k vs 2012)
Area: -590.8 (+121k vs 2014, -398k vs 2013, +168k vs 2012)
This week total extent declined at an unremarkable rate a little over -50k/day. Compared with previous years 2015 is now only ahead of 2013, the year that only stated to seriously decline around this time.
Total area dropped much faster at a rate of nearly -85k/day, indicating some serious melt ponding. Quite normal and not enough to change the ranking between the years that I have comparable data of: only 2013 was slower.
Regionally most of the extent decline happened in regions not within of the Basin, only in the Chukchi Sea extent dropped significantly. Looking at the area figures shows that there is considerable melting activity especially in the Central Arctic Basin. The exception is Laptev that is showing small increases in area and extent.
In the Canadian Archipelago surface melting seems to be at the top of all regions. This is also shown by the ADS-NIPR thickness/melting map, showing darker shades of blue between the islands.
Temperatures and melting area are not anomalous, but the melting activity in the Arctic Basin and the expectation that the slowness in the peripheral regions Hudson and Baffin will have little influence on the final minimum are reasons to think a strong second half of the melting season is still possible.
You will find the updated graphs in the
top postThe details (in 1000 km
2):
Extent:
Central Arctic Basin East Siberian Sea Laptev Sea
14.5 -7.4 7.0
Kara Sea Barents Sea Greenland Sea
-60.7 -2.5 -59.9
Baffin/Newfoundland Bay St. Lawrence Hudson Bay
-75.0 0.0 -107.1
Canadian Archipelago Beaufort Sea Chukchi Sea
-18.3 1.2 -47.2
Bering Sea Sea of Okhotsk Total Extent
0.0 -8.1 -363.5
Area:
Central Arctic Basin East Siberian Sea Laptev Sea
-95.1 -16.9 4.6
Kara Sea Barents Sea Greenland Sea
-56.8 -18.1 -106.9
Baffin/Newfoundland Bay St. Lawrence Hudson Bay
-67.9 0.0 -106.3
Canadian Archipelago Beaufort Sea Chukchi Sea
-46.3 -9.3 -63.6
Bering Sea Sea of Okhotsk Total Area
0.0 -8.2 -590.8