[term: pulverizing]
Over a decade ago 2005-2010 I raised the idea that vertical mixing of the increasingly open ocean and the wave actions due to the growing winds and temperature gradients between open and ice covered parts of the ocean breaking and pulverizing sea ice, I had to explain a few times exactly what I meant with these now self-evident processes attacking Arctic sea ice.
(On the land ice, I queried early 2000's temperature measurements from inside Greenland ice sheet and the answer I was given was that we do not need to measure more than one meter from the surface as ice is insular. Completely failing to understand the transport of heat through moulins and crevasses that drain water and heat in it to beneath ice sheet.)
Years pass and things come to pass. Overall, I am very much delighted to see infinitely better and aware discussion than at the turn of the millennium. And ASIF forum is a superb venue to come together to see the rapid change and try to foresee what will be the next big thing.
In Ilulissat people used to drive cars on winter road to Disko Island, then ice weakened and it was not possible in late 1970s but still possible with motor sleds, since then the winter sleds also has gone away and at last many dogs have been put down in Ilulissat. Local people has known for long that this was coming but the professionals were slow to note this and speak openly about it. In September 2007 I took a copy of The Times citing about "the ice age" after fears of Golf Stream weakening reported at the time, and we had a good laugh with people of Thule attending the RSE VII conference about the crazy British (as they were just 900 miles from the North Pole and seas were opening even there was heat and melting).
Today we are at least in a right spot to discuss these things which are parallel to local knowledge. That was not always the case not so long ago.
Where did it go?
Charts show this ice that's now entering Nares to be old thick ice, but the way it crumbles makes for doubt. 5-21 vs. 5-22
i was just looking at that.
The ice is being reported as 4-5 m thick ice, but is being pulverized as it enters the Nares. Seems surprising.