JAXA EXTENT 17,751,576 km2(September 16, 2018)I really do think we are looking at an event out of the ordinary, but is it merely a temporary blip ?The Antarctic continues to demonstrate its unpredictability - not so much end of season wobbles, more a continuing trend down instead of end of season up. But then a 228k increase over 3 days.
Extent is 162 k 01.9 %) below 2017, 24 k (0.1 %) below 2016, and 988 k (5.6%) below the 2010's average, and another record low extent for the day - just - (11 days in a row).
A maximum of 17.88 million km2 - a record low by just 30 k km2, is the result from average extent gain with just 1 day on average to the maximum. Range of outcomes over the last 10 years from remaining melt is in the range of 17.78 to 18.31 million km2. This maximum result would be 4th lowest. i.e. a second year of record low Antarctic sea ice extent is still likely.
On 26 August ice extent was 17.78 million, and has not risen above that in the 21 days following. This is unusual (unique?) for this time of year. As each day passes it is more possible that this is the new record low maximum at a new record early date. However once more small increase will change that.
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Antarctic Sea Ice is often dismissed of little importance in the grand scheme of things. The following is a quote from the June 2018 sea ice analysis from NSIDC.
Per NSIDC:-
Antarctica’s sea ice and ice shelf disintegration[/b]
.... sea ice—a component of the cryosphere that is very sensitive to changing climate and ocean—has an important protective effect on the Antarctic ice sheet.