JAXA ANTARCTIC SEA ICE EXTENT: 8,110,738 KM2 as at 25-Dec-2020
- Extent loss on this day 370k, 134 k more than the average loss on this day (of the last 10 years) of 236k,
- Extent loss from maximum on this date is 10.75 million km2, 0.46 million km2, (4%) more than the 10 year average of 10.30 million km2.
- Extent is at position #19 in the satellite record of which 10 lower values are in the years before 2000
- Extent is 1,825 k MORE than 2016
- Extent is 630 k MORE than 2017
- Extent is 1,633 k MORE than 2018
- Extent is 1,068 k MORE than 2019
- Extent is 155 k LESS than the 1980's Average
- On average 66.0% of ice loss from maximum to minimum done, and 58 days to minimum
Projections. (Table JAXA-Ant1)
Average remaining melt (of the last 10 years) would produce a minimum in Feb 2021 of 2.80 million km2, 0.65 million km2 above the 2017 record low minimum of 2.15 million km2.
_______________________________________________________________
The very high extent loss on this day moves extent from 22nd to 19th lowest , i.e. now in the top half of the 42 year satellite record. In the last 7 days these above average extent losses have changed extent from 31st to 19th lowest,
A 370k daily extent loss is unusual but not unique at this time of year. In the last 17 years there have been 11 instances of daily extent losses in excess of 370k.
_______________________________________________________________
N.B. Click on image to enlarge