NSIDC Total Area as at 17 August (5 day trailing average) = 3,919,769 km2
This is now 203 k above the 2010-2017 average total area for this date
Total Area loss 76 K ,
Central Seas loss 68 k,
Peripheral Seas loss 6 k, all seas at or near zero area.
Other Seas gain 2 k. all seas at or near zero area.
Analysis of individual seas.
Pacific Side
- The Bering Sea - finished,
- Chukchi Sea loss 5 k, area 84 k, below the 2010's average - just.
Atlantic Side
- Baffin Sea loss 1 k, area 28 k - almost done,
- Greenland Sea loss 5 k, area 62k,
- Barents Sea - finished,
- The Kara Sea area loss 0 k, area is now 28 k, well under 5% of 1980's average maximum.
- The Laptev Sea area loss 4 k, area 47 k, 6% of maximum.
CAB
- Beaufort Sea loss 6 k,
- The Canadian Archipelago loss 5 k,
- East Siberian Sea loss 34 k .
- The Central Arctic Sea loss 13 k,
Other seas
- St Lawrence -finished,
- Hudson Bay area loss 2 k, Area now 33 k,
- The Okhotsk Sea - finished
On average, this is when daily area loss declines sharply But the area loss of 76 k is above this day's 2010's average by 40 k. Extent loss (also 5-day trailing average)) was 71k, above average for the day. But daily extent loss was a mere 24k, after 5k the day before and before that the high losses of 90k, 128k, 106k and 68k the days before.. This probably means that area losses will see a sharp fall in the coming days.
It is all about the 4 central seas now. On the melting season thread there is evidence of strong ice loss along the Atlantic front all the way round to the ESS, and predictions of weather favourable for further ice loss. Will above average area losses return strongly in the last 30 days or so of the season ? Not seen for a good while but an real difference on this day, especially (at last) in the ESS - Atlantification heads East?
The melting season ain't over yet, there is a chorus of fat ladies waiting in the wings for a chance to sing.
