This is the year we've been waiting for

[XemaSab]

The ice up in the Arctic Ocean just looks terrible, and I was wondering if it's been looking that bad in the summer for a while now.

Short answer: no.

Even in September of last year, when the ice was at its annual minimum, the ice appeared to be mostly solid, whereas today it's not a cap, it's just a collection of floes. The "best" area I could find is near the pole, and it's clearly shearing apart in real time.

The ice has officially gone off the cliff. Like the hapless coyote in the cartoons, it might take a while for it to start dropping, but (to shift metaphors in mid-stream) this bell can't be un-rung.

Re-consolidation will be a long, slow process this winter, and next year's going to be even worse.


July 16, 2009:

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=Arctic_r04c03.2009197.terra.1km

July 16, 2010:

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=Arctic_r04c03.2010197.terra.1km

Yes, there were some leads developing last July, but it doesn't look like white pebbles on a black-sand beach.

September 16, 2009:

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=Arctic_r04c03.2009259.terra.1km

Even in September of last year there were large leads, but the cap as a whole appeared to be mostly cohesive.

And lest I be accused of cherry-picking the images, here's the whole basin last September and today:

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?mosaic=Arctic.2009259.terra.4km

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?mosaic=Arctic.2010197.terra.4km

(Protip: You can zoom into the image of the whole basin, and if you then click on "250m" near the top you can get a VERY zoomed-in look.)

[panzerfaust]

1. Global Warming - you didn't get the Fair & Balanced Truth:

"Global Warming" was completely discredited by "ClimateGate" and shown to be only a conspiracy by "scientists" so they could keep up payments on their 15 year old Mazadas.

ClimateGate: Brought to you by the same people who are taking such good care of the Gulf of Mexico.

[xchrom]

2. A very sad state of affairs. Nt

[guardian]

3. Doomer doctrine on display

So according to XemaSab:

1. the Arctic ocean "...just looks terrible", and
2. "...and next year's going to be even worse."

But "This is the year we've been waiting for"??


I think its time to get dressed, come out of your mother's basement, and stop watching endless reruns of "The Day After Tomorrow" and "2012".

[Dogmudgeon]

4. When in doubt, invoke Mom's Basement

I think we need a law similar to Godwin's Law for Mom's Basement.

And Ponies.

And Jetpacks.

And the DLC.

And Chernobyl.

And 6000-year-old-Earth gags in paleoscience posts.

And Mark Z. Jacobson.

And Mr. Rofl.

--d!

[Systematic Chaos]

5. Seriously why the living fuck are you even here?

Your schtick is just...old.

[XemaSab]

6. Hi there!

So what's your super scientific analysis of the ice cap?

Is it healthy? Is it regrowing?

Please post pictures and/or links to universities or government agencies to back up your points, please. :hi:

[Systematic Chaos]

7. You know, the usual.

Heartland Institute

Mises Institute

The Hard-On for Ayn Rand Bootstrap Fetishists Union and National Symposium of Fuck You I've Got Mine

Rush Limbaugh

Sean Hannity

The wheel goes round and round without end....

[guardian]

8. I know it is difficult to focus on one thing at a time

But my post was commenting on the apparent joy over bad news for the earth based on the OP subject line: "This is the year we've been waiting for"

[XemaSab]

9. I don't know how you managed to read joy into that

"This is the IRS audit we've been waiting for."

"This is the gonorrhea infection we've been waiting for."

"This is the massive meteor destroying all life on earth we've been waiting for."

You can anticipate BAD things too, ya know.

[stuntcat]

10. "waiting for"

What if horrible shit finally gets clear enough that the retarded fucking monkeys grudgingly agree to change their lives and try to help the REST of the planet survive? Then it could end up being the year that anyone who gives a shit about anything but humans was waiting for.

I got no faith though. For as long as I live the years will keep being worse and worse and worse than the last.

[Odin2005]

11. Dear Lord in Heaven, The cap looks like slush!

I am scared shitless about how bad the icecap is looking :scared: