I'm sure we've all mused as to why Sea ice area/extent, around the winter Antarctic, was apparently increasing since the 80's and many of us will have been satisfied with the compilation of mechanisms our Experts point to as having impact on the increases but have some of these 'forcings' now ended/reversed?
I have been wondering, over the past 3 years, as to whether or not we would begin to see a collapse in extent as both the Ozone hole showed signs of self repair and we saw the flip of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation/Flip positive of the PDO. This year's early max ( was this itself breakup/float off at seasons end?) drops the max extent back into the pack of previous years max extents so ought we to expect this trend to continue?
I suspect we all knew that there would be a 'maximum' extent that we could see under the current forcings and I feel this occurred back in 2012 ( or so) as the expansion of sea ice met with Southern Ocean workings limiting such growth. If some of these forcings are now reversed/falling away we might need to prepare ourselves for a rapid collapse back to 1970's ice levels come maximum?
The only 'upside' will be the fun we can have at the Denier's expense as they struggle to explain why this is happening after years of it being their 'Squirrel' of choice?