http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/
Arctic ice continues to grow at a very fast rate, despite the fact that 2010 is the hottest year on record and the Arctic is the fastest warming place on earth.
When water freezes, it releases heat. This causes the air temperature above it to rise. We may be starting to see this effect in Arctic air temperatures north of 80N.
Nahh, that’s global warming.
😉
It looks like ice is forming on shore all around the circumference of the Arctic Ocean.
Well yeah, the coldest liquid water can be present is around -2 C (sea water), so the colder air temps have to be getting warmed up by any liquid water still present (or in the process of freezing). This effect happens all winter with the only difference being the thick insulation provided by the ice. Presumably, after the surface is completely frozen over the effect will be less because of the increased insulation and lower heat transfer coefficients of the ice.
Opposite effect happens during the summer and I believe is one reason that the temps are less variable in the summer…all that cold water is a great temperature regulator, and once exposed it keeps the air temps from getting all that warm.
-Scott
This rapid rate of increase makes me think that there are still significant issues with melt season satellite measurements of ice area/extent. Essentially that surface melt water pools are hiding ice or low density ice is missed. With the re-freeze happening, all the pools are freezing over, getting snow on top, and the low density ice is coalescing together.
Perhaps the uptick in autumnal temperatures noted for previous years has started….or can just be the AO going positive…or whatever…
This is a record no one who believes in global warming will talk about. But, as you say, they still won’t stop talking about the Eastern Seaboard.