Ice Free Svalbard

[Gray-Wolf]

I've been watching the area all winter and it's sea ice never seemed to form this year.

Anyone any info on the last time they were out of sight of sea ice all year and are we to blame the -ve AO or the Gulf Stream????

As an add on the ice to the NW has recently 'let go' and is now floes in open water heading south on the 'Arctic Current' (and so for the rest of the ice down NE Greenland).

When was the last time this occured in Feb?

Edited February 16, 2010 by Gray-Wolf

[Gray-Wolf]

Well, winters end and the west coasts of Svalbard have been ice free all winter (as has the ocean to the NW of the Archipelago).

Is this normal in a -ve AO phase?

[stewfox]

Well, winters end and the west coasts of Svalbard have been ice free all winter (as has the ocean to the NW of the Archipelago).

Is this normal in a -ve AO phase?

GW you seem a bit lonely in this thread.

Not sure what relevance finding a site in the Arctic that has had a warmer then average winter means?.

Much of the cold has been displaced south.

Just because my garden has more snow this year then for a decade or so im not suggesting another ice age is on the way??.

[Gray-Wolf]

GW you seem a bit lonely in this thread.

Not sure what relevance finding a site in the Arctic that has had a warmer then average winter means?.

Much of the cold has been displaced south.

Just because my garden has more snow this year then for a decade or so im not suggesting another ice age is on the way??.

The Fram Straight is the exit from the Arctic for 90% of the ice there and has been the executioner of the old perennial through the noughties. No ice there at summers start means an open gate to ice exiting (last Berg out, please turn off the light) the pole.

When old perennial formed a dam from Svalbard to East Greenland we had to wait until mid season before ice from the high Arctic was able to be flushed out .

Not this year though

[doctormog]

I've just had a look at the recent imagery and if anything 2010 compares favourably in recent days to the same time period in recent years.

And here is the evidence (not opinion):

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/deetest/deetmp.19690.png 2010 v 2008 (last year's data is unavailable)

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/deetest/deetmp.5002.png (2007 and 2006 for comparison)

Earlier in the season there was an usually low level of ice to the north of Svalbard, this seems to have been reversed somewhat in recent weeks.

[Gray-Wolf]

Well I'm greatly reassured by that.

[Gray-Wolf]

The sea ice 'Age' map showed a plume of perennial to the north of Svalbard at the start of the winter freeze up. With such a rapid start to the melt season around and north of there we may need to keep an eye on the flow of this out of the Arctic down Fram.

Someone , over on the Arctic thread, had already posted concerns about the amount of open water that has suddenly appeared to the North of the Archipelago and I have posted images of the melt and spread down the east coast of Greenland. There is only the perennial to the North of Greenland that we have no data on at present but both Icebridge and Cryosat2 will remedy this over summer.

[MR EXTREMES]

regional ice loss is nothin abnormal its also spring now so its to be expected.

i noticed your post in the enso thread it would seem your on the chase for something to back up your ideas of arctic free summer by 2013 lol im sorry it wont happen.

[Gray-Wolf]

There are times I think you might not be listening bb.

Once again....The latest maps showing 'ice type' had perennial across the region now in melt (remember? the perennial is the ice type that lasts over summer) so you are either content that the ice is so knacked that this swathe of (over 1/2 of the remaining) perennial drifted out of the way and that what we are seeing is single year ice melting out or you are a 'Modern Arctic' man and know that we have no more perennial left and what we are witnessing in this area is 'rotten ice' melting out.

Which one?

Edited April 11, 2010 by Gray-Wolf

[Argyllcraig]

I did read something recently regarding areas of 'ice free' Arctic this winter.

The general feeling was that it was not something out of character for the type of winter thats been experienced. The main thrust was to do with prevailing winds and sea states as having a regional variation on where in the Arctic circle sea ice is more likely to form.

Will see if i can dig it out and post it.