Record Low Arctic Sea Ice Extent Possible Soon

[TWCCraig]

I'd like to address a very concerning issue. The arctic sea ice extent this year has been so well below normal and is currently at a record low level to the current date. The current ice extent is also nearing the all-time lowest Arctic ice extent ever recorded, and it's only August. This is a very dangerous issue. The arctic sea ice sea ice extent has never been this low this early in the year. One major cause for the sea ice loss is a powerful low pressure system that has been impacting the arctic for a while, that low pressure system has moved away but it's damage is done. The storm that dropped to I believe 976mb caused rough seas, breaking apart the ice, causing more surface area to be exposed, thus creating more ice loss. I believe we will see record low ice extent in the arctic this September, if not earlier. Please note, I did not bring up this topic to trigger a debate on climate change, I did it to address a very important issue that could also be discussed in a non-debateful way.

Record Low Arctic Ice Extent Graphs and Maps:





Image Credit: NSIDC (National Snow & Ice Data Center)

[TWCToday]

2012 had a really good start to the year. While it dropped significantly, I think its too early to tell if we will see record lows come September.

Another view of the data with additional years included
http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/seaice/extent/Sea_Ice_Extent_L.png

[TWCCraig]

It happened, and there still is a good month of melting left to do. 

http://nsidc.org/news/press/20120827_2012extentbreaks2007record.html

[TWCCraig]

Latest Update, the 2012 Arctic Sea Ice Extent is just shattering the old 2007 record.
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2012/09/arctic-sea-ice-falls-below-4-million-square-kilometers/

[TWCC_DJK5555]

Yet around Antarctica, ice is growing.   

[TWCCraig]

Yet around Antarctica, ice is growing.   

That's nothing I would be concerned about. The amount that the arctic is loosing is no where near where how much the antarctic is gaining. Some research has been done with this and one of the possible explanations for this is an increased amount of precip around Antarctica, leading to more snowpack which could allow for more sea ice. There are a wide variety of theories for it. But, in no ways what so ever should AGW be contradicted just because the antarctic is gaining some ice, compared to the arctic at loosing ice at record low levels.