Triple and 1/2 WHOOPS
NSIDC Total Area as at 28 August (5 day trailing average) = 3,561,556 km2
This is 256 k above the 2010-2017 average total area for this date
3,561,556 -27,847 -882 -21,797 -5,168
Total Area loss 28k , which is about 10 k below average
Central Seas loss 22 k,
Peripheral Seas loss 1 k, all seas at or near zero area.
Other Seas loss 5 k, all seas at or near zero area.
Analysis of individual seas.
Pacific Side
- The Bering Sea - finished,
- Chukchi Sea loss 5 k, area 48 k, just above 2010's average.
Atlantic Side
- Baffin Sea loss 1 k, area 26 k, <5% of max,
- Greenland Sea loss 0 k, area 49k,
- Barents Sea - finished,
- The Kara Sea area loss 1 k, area 27 k, < 5% of maximum.
- The Laptev Sea area loss 1 k, area 20 k, <5% of maximum.
CAB
- Beaufort Sea loss 2 k,
- The Canadian Archipelago gain 1 k,
- East Siberian Sea loss 11 k .
- The Central Arctic Sea loss 4 k,
Other seas
- St Lawrence -finished,
- Hudson Bay area loss 5 k, Area 13 k,
- The Okhotsk Sea - finished.
On average, this is when daily area loss declines sharply and wobbles from day to day. The area loss of a 28 k is below average by about 10k for this day. Extent loss (also 5-day trailing average)) was 43k, 10k below average for the day. Daily extent loss was 10k, (after 15k, 40k, 56k, 88 k losses and a gain of 54k the days before). End of season wobbles. 2 weeks to go?
It is was (?) all about the 4 (?) central seas now. The Beaufort and the CAA and now the Central Arctic have stalled. Is it now just about the ESS ? The melting season is not over yet, or is it near as dammit? There was a chorus of fat ladies waiting in the wings for a chance to sing, but I think now three have left and are not coming back....