Sea Ice Outlook: July 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/july
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 July 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/july.
The July Pan-Arctic Outlook for arctic sea ice extent in September 2010
shows some notable adjustments from the June Outlook, with both downward
and upward revisions from last month. With 17 contributing groups, most
estimates are in the range of 4.0 to 5.7 million square kilometers, with
an outlier estimate of 1.0 million square kilometers. All of the
estimates remain significantly below the 1979-2007 average of 6.7
million square kilometers, and six estimates indicate a new record
minimum. The average estimate is 4.8 +/- 0.62 million square kilometers
(excluding the estimate of 1 million square kilometers), which is below
the 2009 minimum of 5.4 million square kilometers.
Ten regional contributions still suggest that ice conditions will be
below normal relative to the past two to three decades. Conditions may
potentially rival the 2007 record minimum, if the majority of the
remaining first-year ice disappears and some second-year ice at lower
latitudes melts back between now and the September minimum.
This month's Outlook also includes ship-based observations from the
Healy and Polarstern.
To view the reports and the individual Outlook contributions, go to:
http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook/2010/july.
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