Sea Ice Outlook: August Reports Available
Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)
For further information and to view the Pan-Arctic and Regional reports,
please go to: http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/2010/august
Or contact:
Helen Wiggins (SEARCH Project Office, ARCUS)
Email: helen [at] arcus.org
Hajo Eicken (Member, Sea Ice Outlook Core Integration Group)
Email: hajo.eicken [at] gi.alaska.edu
The August Sea Ice Outlook reports are now available! The Pan-Arctic
Summary, Full Pan-Arctic Outlook, and Regional Outlook are available at:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/2010/august.
A total of 18 contributions were received for the August Outlook -16
from the scientific community and 2 from the general public. The mean
prediction for the September minimum, excluding the two contributions
from the general public, is 4.9 +/- 0.51 million square kilometers. This
is a slight increase from the July Outlook of 4.8 +/- 0.62 million
square kilometers and reflects in part the slowdown of ice loss observed
in July. To put this estimate in context, this is below the 2009 minimum
of 5.4 million square kilometers and represents a continuation of the
long-term loss of summer arctic sea ice. None of the contributors
indicate a return to the climatological sea ice extent of 6.7 million
square kilometers.
Regional contributions still suggest that ice conditions will be below
normal relative to the past two to three decades. Ice extent in the
Beaufort, Chukchi, and East Siberian Seas remain high compared to the
2007 record minimum, however, the overall ice extent could still rival
the 2007 record minimum particularly if winds over the next few weeks
push the ice northward.
August's Outlook also includes ship-based observations from the Xuelong,
Lance, and Polarstern.
To view the reports and the individual Outlook contributions, go to:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/2010/august.
This is the last of the regular Outlook reports for the season. We will
announce the sea ice minimum when it occurs.
The SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook is an international effort to provide a
community-wide summary of the expected September arctic sea ice minimum.
Monthly reports released throughout the summer synthesize community
estimates of the current state and expected minimum of sea ice
extent--at both a pan-arctic and regional scale. The Outlook is not a
formal forecasting system, but a forum to discuss ideas and the various
factors that influence sea ice.
Contact Information:
Pan-Arctic Outlook and General Outlook Questions
Helen Wiggins (SEARCH Project Office, ARCUS)
Email: helen [at] arcus.org
Regional Outlook
Hajo Eicken (Member, Sea Ice Outlook Core Integration Group)
Email: hajo.eicken [at] gi.alaska.edu