Abnormally low sea ice extent and thickness defined the 2010s in the Arctic

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) just released their sea ice update for December 2019 and the full 2019 calendar year.

All images courtesy the NSIDC.

December 2019 was tied for 5th lowest Arctic sea ice extent in the satellite era, which goes back to 1979.

Since 1979, the Arctic region has lost about 1.9 million square kilometers of sea ice for the month of December. This is equivalent to the size of Alaska and California combined.

Sea ice extent in the Chukchi Sea was extremely low in 2019 compared to normal with record low extents for the months of October and November. Sea surface water temperatures averaged 5 to 7 degrees celsius above normal into the autumn.

Bering Sea ice extent was very low once again during 2019. The lack of sea ice in the Bering Sea was unlikely to have occurred without the influence of man-made warming, according to a recently published report.

The 2010s

Eight of the 10 lowest September (month when the annual sea ice extent minimum usually occurs) average extents in the satellite record occurred during the past decade in the Arctic basin. The 13 lowest extents have occurred in the last 13 years from 2007-2019.