Arctic ice minimum third lowest in recorded history
September 11th, 2009 by Jim JustNational Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) scientists report they expect to see the minimum ice extent for the year in the next few weeks. This year won’t see a record low – but that’s small comfort.
While this year’s minimum ice extent will probably not reach the record low of 2007, it remains well below normal: average ice extent for August 2009 was the third-lowest in the satellite record. Ice extent has now fallen below the 2005 minimum, previously the third-lowest extent in the satellite record.
This year is now the third-lowest ice extent in the satellite record, with one to two weeks left in the melt season. The minimum ice extent for the year will probably occur in the next two weeks.
Arctic sea routes have not opened this year as they did last year. The shallow and narrow southern route of the Northwest Passage – which is not a single passage, but rather a number of possible routes through the channels of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago – appeared to open briefly this August. This route was also open in 2007 and 2008. The deeper northern route, of great interest for potential commercial transport, was open in 2007 but is still blocked by ice this year. On the other side of the Arctic, the Northern Sea Route is open along most of the route, except for a narrow band of ice between the islands of Severnaya Zemlya and the Siberian mainland.
