3 ms·

I am a bit confused. The start of the year looked bad but then it's better than the last couple years? (or almost the same)

• jacquesm 3y ago
  It's the Antarctic, so the ice will grow during the summer months in the Northern hemisphere because it is winter there. It started off at a record low because that's where the dashed red line left it there in the Arctic summer of 2022, and it has departed so far from the previous years that it is now completely disjoint and more than 2 million square kilometers or about 10% of the total scale of the chart behind where it normally would have been. If nothing changes (and why would it?) then it will peak at the 15th of September at 16 million square kilometers setting it up for next year with a start that is even lower. This is unbelievable. As in: I believe it but it defies the imagination, think about the quantity of ice you're talking about and try to imagine the amount of energy required to melt it. And that phase change sink is what effectively is one of the last emergency sinks for all that heat. If and when it goes all that energy will go directly into heating the ocean instead.
  • csomar 3y ago
    > It's the Antarctic, so the ice will grow during the summer months in the Northern hemisphere because it is winter there. You mean Southern, right?
    • Scarblac 3y ago
      No, ice grows now, so during summer in the north. Or winter in the south, same thing.
    • jacquesm 3y ago
      It's winter in the Antarctic right now. And summer in the North. Confusing...