Powerful arctic storm

[PS_RalphW]

http://neven1.typepad.com/blog/2012/08/ ... .html#more

A deep low pressure cyclone in the high arctic is causing rapid break up and melting of the remaining sea ice and given that the storm is forecast to last 4 days could be causing a 'flash melting' event that hasn't been seen for several years.

Combined with the existing record low for the time of year this more or less guarantees a record low summer ice extent.

[PS_RalphW]

The storm has as predict shattered large areas of the ice pack, and pushed a massive area south from the main pack to the Siberian coast, where it will likely melt in the 4 weeks remaining of the melt season.
A lot of the remaining multi-year ice is being pushed towards the Fram Straight, where it will drift down the east coast of Greenland, and melt.

It will be a few more days before the storm disapates and the full impact can be assessed, but all the pointers are that we are seeing the begining of the end of arctic ice pack in summer. Multi-year ice will fall to zero.

http://neven1.typepad.com/blog/2012/08/ ... hment.html

[biffvernon]

The latest report from NSIDC is entitled "A most interesting Arctic summer"

http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/