Arctic ice refuses to melt as ordered

Archived in the category: Energy, Global Warming and Climate Change
Posted by captkarl on 18 Aug 08 -

Arctic ice refuses to melt as ordered

There’s something rotten north of Denmark

By Steven Goddard → More by this author
Published Friday 15th August 2008 10:02 GMT


 

Just a few weeks ago, predictions of Arctic ice collapse were buzzing all over the internet. Some scientists were predicting that the “North Pole may be ice-free for first time this summer”. Others predicted that the entire “polar ice cap would disappear this summer”.
The Arctic melt season is nearly done for this year. The sun is now very low above the horizon and will set for the winter at the North Pole in five weeks. And none of these dire predictions have come to pass. Yet there is, however, something odd going on with the ice data.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado released an alarming graph on August 11, showing that Arctic ice was rapidly disappearing, back towards last year’s record minimum. Their data shows Arctic sea ice extent only 10 per cent greater than this date in 2007, and the second lowest on record. Here’s a smaller version of the graph:
Arctic ice not disappearing
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)’s troublesome ice graph

The problem is that this graph does not appear to be correct. Other data sources show Arctic ice having made a nice recovery this summer. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center data shows 2008 ice nearly identical to 2002, 2005 and 2006. Maps of Arctic ice extent are readily available from several sources, including the University of Illinois, which keeps a daily archive for the last 30 years. A comparison of these maps (derived from NSIDC data) below shows that Arctic ice extent was 30 per cent greater on August 11, 2008 than it was on the August 12, 2007. (2008 is a leap year, so the dates are offset by one.)

Ice at the Arctic
Ice at the Arctic: 2007 and 2008 snapshots

The video below highlights the differences between those two dates. As you can see, ice has grown in nearly every direction since last summer - with a large increase in the area north of Siberia. Also note that the area around the Northwest Passage (west of Greenland) has seen a significant increase in ice. Some of the islands in the Canadian Archipelago are surrounded by more ice than they were during the summer of 1980.

The 30 per cent increase was calculated by counting pixels which contain colors representing ice. This is a conservative calculation, because of the map projection used. As the ice expands away from the pole, each new pixel represents a larger area - so the net effect is that the calculated 30 per cent increase is actually on the low side.

So how did NSIDC calculate a 10 per cent increase over 2007? Their graph appears to disagree with the maps by a factor of three (10 per cent vs. 30 per cent) - hardly a trivial discrepancy.

What melts the Arctic?

The Arctic did not experience the meltdowns forecast by NSIDC and the Norwegian Polar Year Secretariat. It didn’t even come close. Additionally, some current graphs and press releases from NSIDC seem less than conservative. There appears to be a consistent pattern of overstatement related to Arctic ice loss.

We know that Arctic summer ice extent is largely determined by variable oceanic and atmospheric currents such as the Arctic Oscillation. NASA claimedlast summer that “not all the large changes seen in Arctic climate in recent years are a result of long-term trends associated with global warming”. The media tendency to knee-jerkingly blame everything on “global warming” makes for an easy story - but it is not based on solid science. ®

Bootnote

And what of the Antarctic? Down south, ice extent is well ahead of the recent average. Why isn’t NSIDC making similarly high-profile press releases about the increase in Antarctic ice over the last 30 years?

The author, Steven Goddard, is not affiliated directly or indirectly with any energy industry, nor does he have any current affiliation with any university.

The Liberty Tree Lantern has observed a multitude of articles, from the major newspapers and main stream media (MSM) that would have you believe that the polar ice melt is so prominent that it will all be gone in “either” a couple of months or “with in” five years.  And, let me tell you, if you haven’t read one of these articles, you would certainly think the sky was falling.  But look at the valid facts we provide for you here.

Now The Liberty Tree Lantern would ask our readership a question; Why would the bigees seemingly lead you astray of the hard reality of the true facts?  This writer can answer that question with another question, why are all the MSM leaders and owners members of The Trilateral Commission, whose prime directive is to eliminate freedom in favor of the total domination of mankind through a one world Socialist government?  Check their own website for yourself: www.trilateral.org .  They are not hiding anything.  They believe their cause is completely honorable and noble, because they believe they know better then us what is the best for us.  In their minds; They “are doing us a favor” by taking away our freedom and our prosperity so they can control us for our own good. 

 

The Trilateral Commission is headed up by the owners of the private company called THE FEDERAL RESERVE.  Yes, the very same private company that prints our money and “borrows” our income taxes to The U.S. Government.

 

 

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