Phytoplankton productivity has increased 20 percent over the past decade as sea ice extent declines and more open water habitat is available.
In the Arctic, an ocean is surrounded by continents, while Antarctica is continent surrounded by oceans. These differences in the arrangement of land and water contribute to differences in each polar region’s climate, oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns, and seasonal and long-term sea ice patterns.
In 2007, Arctic sea ice retreated so dramatically that it broke all previous records for sea ice minimum for July through October. Is this year’s summer ice melt season on track to surpass 2007?
On September 12, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic reached the third lowest level ever recorded since satellite records began in 1979. Only 2007 and 2008 have had smaller ice extents than 2009.
Ice older than 4 years once dominated the winter ice pack in the Arctic. Today, only a tiny fraction of old, thick survives.
New research weighs in on a popular debate about whether reduced Arctic sea ice is causing extreme mid-latitude winters. Their result? Blame the atmosphere, not the ice.