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This visualization shows Saturday's extent of Arctic sea ice, as charted by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The readings have been overlaid on NASA imagery of the Northern Hemisphere. The orange line indicates the median extent of sea ice on the same calendar date for the 1979-2000 time period.
If Santa Claus is getting the feeling that someone's looking over his shoulder as he rushes to make his Christmas deadline, he's not wrong: A succession of satellites is monitoring his North Pole workshop and the rest of the Arctic on a daily basis. Based on the satellite readings, the long-term outlook is worrisome, for Santa and the rest of us as well.
This image shows the extent of Arctic sea ice, based on the latest microwave data from the Pentagon's DMSP-F17 satellite. Those readings are compared against the median extent for the same date over the 1979-2000 time frame. That median extent is indicated on the photo by the orange lines.
Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its annual "Arctic Report Card" that glaciers and sea ice retreated at a record rate this year, and that sea level rise has accelerated in the region. What's more, those changes are affecting ecosystems in the far north — spurring marine phytoplankton growth while putting extra pressure on land species such as lemmings and the Arctic fox.
There's also a spillover effect on ecosystems farther south. "What happens in the Arctic doesn't always stay in the Arctic," NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said. "We're seeing Arctic changes in the ocean and the atmosphere that affect weather patterns elsewhere."
Keep tabs on those changes by checking in with NBC News' environmental coverage. For more visualizations of Arctic as well as Antarctic ice data, check out this reference page at the "Watts Up With That" blog. You can also scan NASA's report about this summer's retreat of the Arctic's ice cover. And for something completely different, here are 10 things you may not have known about the North Pole.
Today's visualization of the North Pole's ice is the latest offering from the Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar, which features daily images of Earth from space through Christmas. Try these other visual goodies from the calendar:
- 2012 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- Day 1: A fantastic Chinese fan
- Day 2: Satellite shows a Grander Canyon
- Day 3: Typhoon stirs awe — and alarm
- Day 4: Glittering nighttime view of Riyadh
- Day 5: Night lights shine on 'Black Marble'
- Day 6: Holy sites seen at night
- Day 7: Blue Marble still leaves its mark
- Day 8: Satellites look into a volcano's hell
- Day 9: Jack Frost nipping at Alaska's nose
- Day 10: Cosmonaut looks down on peaks
- Day 11: Earth looms above moonwalker
- Day 12: Skytree casts shadow on Tokyo
- Day 13: Aurora sets stage for meteor show
- Day 14: Apollo's last look at Earthrise
- Day 15: A sobering moment from space
- Day 16: Middle Earth spotted from orbit
- Day 17: Mount Etna erupts ... in 3-D!
- Day 18: Gaze into the Great Blue Hole
- Day 19: Mount Fuji goes fuzzy
- Day 20: Look down on a ruined Maya city
- Day 21: Pyramids have their day in the sun
- Day 22: Outer-space views go festive
- 2011 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- 2010 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- The Atlantic: Hubble Advent Calendar
- Zooniverse Advent Calendar
Correction for 9:15 p.m. ET: I originally referred to the median extent of Arctic sea ice, but changed that reference to use "average" instead — which was an ill-advised move. Generally speaking, an "average" value refers to the mean, which can be quite different from the median. Here's an explanation from Purplemath that lays out the difference. Thanks to commenters for pointing out the distinction. (I also fixed a typo referring to "sea level rice.")
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other science and space news coverage, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered via email. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about dwarf planets and the search for new worlds.
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i live in kansas. in the past 10 years the weather pattern has changed dramatic. normals rain in spring then not a drop after. the corn looks like a bumper crop in may then by august not even worth harvesting. in the past 3 years we are in the longest draught since the dust bowl. winter wheat has no snow cover for insulation,but doesnt realy matter temps. don t get as low as they used to. we are seeing the result in increased food prices. true the earth has gone through many cycles over the ages. so call this global warm or just another cycle, still its time we worry.
This is what the real problem is with the change in the jet stream.
What I can't understand though is why people in the Great Plains voted against their own best interest: is there something about global warming that the people there do not understand after the extreme drought?
How can sea levels rise in one region and not another? If I put a hose in one end of my pool the level rises everywhere in the pool. All the worlds oceans are connected. Just like the deep and shallow ends of my pool. I'm calling BS on this regional stuff.
The article is talking about sea ice and continental ice, not the sea water rising.
What causes sea levels to rise (we learned) is the warm temperatures. If you have a thermometer, you know how it works: the liquid is warmer, it goes up. And it goes up everywhere. However, there is something very strange: the water level is different between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. I don't know why, but that would be a good question for a water current specialist. This is a fact that used to be told about the Panama Canal.
Elizabeth, They say the ocean level is 8 inches deeper on the Pacific side. Let's call it a "slosh factor".
The earth is a rotating ball on an axis. Imagine the earth stopped, and then start it turning. The water would slosh over from the Atlantic to the Pacific. After awhile, the oceans stabilize and the water steadies. Now put on the brakes. The water sloshes from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Go back to normal steady rotation. No such thing because their would be a slow steady deceleration. It may take a billion years, but someday there will be 25 hours per day. A slow deceleration making the fluid sea water in the Pacific slosh against the solid (unfluid) land mass. About 8 inches worth.
Now consider the earth's rotation like a driven ball on an axis. With an atmosphere. If the ball was perfectly round with a glass surface, the atmosphere would shear loose from the ball and stay steady. Pretty boring world with no weather. Now add some "fan blades" like mountains and land masses. The atmosphere would mostly rotate with the earth with lots of swirls through it. The irregular weather patterns and air currents and swirls.
Great article, now where's Santa... dammitt
Don't listen to them @Jrock38
@Tetrapoda actually rocks aren't stupid at all! Shows what kind of geologist you are!
The optimum wonderful leftist pig environment was when there was thousands of feet of ice over the northern United States. It just doesn't get any better than that.
I wish the yellow line was complete so we knew where the snow/ice was in Canada and Russia.
Through the year, the line moves, because every calendar day of the year there was a different median line. At this time of the year, the ice cap fills the entire space normally; that orange line is missing next to Canada and Russia at this time because it wouldn't be there.
Thirty years in geological time is about.....Well nothing.
Bullsh*T for deleting my wikipedia links!
Anyways folks, if you're actually interested in a thing called 'knowledge' look up milankovitch cycles and interglacial periods.
Or look up the Koch brothers' report on global warming caused by humans, which proves global warming.
Or we can just read the mostly ignorant, sarcastic deniers, and the mostly rational, well-informed non-deniers, and make up our minds from there.
Median?! What does that mean? The median is the middle number not the average. Does the writer mean the mean (the average)? or does he mean half of the ice extent from year to year is beyond the orange line and the other half is less than the orange line, which doesn't tell us anything.
I think the knowitalls need to know something - know how to write, or know how to communicate a meaningful fact, or know what they are saying.
Paul
Sorry, as discussed previously, the median is the "middle" value rather than what we commonly think of as the "average" value. If you follow the links, it's pretty well explained. I initially tried to head off an issue with people not being familiar with the median, but I only got myself in trouble.
Just imagine as the planet begins too loose this deflective surface over time the earth will adsorb, and keep in more heat from the sun.
That will become a real problem one day, and if this process should continue in this direction like it has in the past, we will see big changes in weather, plant life, basically its a domino effect that will reshape our planet.
It has happened many times over the earths lifetime, and thus it will happen again.
We just were not around to see it or help speed it up in some cases.
This is just basic common elements of our worlds, and our evolution here.
Have a good holiday all.
It's all about the money. you can't argue that. No global warming no grant's.
There's no such thing as global warming...Fox News told me so...
!
Read this again ..and again...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQU3LYNZQc
Just completed a Geology class with B. Mans impact on climate change is very small. The Earth has had climate change and global warming and cooling from day 1. Global warming is actually a good thing for humans compared to global cooling. The ICE AGES and mini ICE AGES are responsible for mass extinctions and starvation and disease for humans. It is the natural cycle for the planet and we are lucky to be in a global warming trend and if we as humans ad a degree or 2 it will actually benefit us, if we were causing global cooling and an ICE AGE then you have something to worry about.
It is a lot easier to deal with a warmer earth than a colder one. So I guess we are lucky.
you won't be saying that crap when the water levels rise high enough to swallow up the little shed that you call homme in kansas or whatever hick town you live in and then the sun gets closer and closer to earth and your spf 80 no longer keeps you safe from the UV rays that are getting through our oiner and thinner o-zone layer. Maybe you should stop letting your car idle for 15 minutes in your driveway before you leave for your ex-wives house to stalk her in the morning so that when you get in your backside won't bea little cold and stop respecting the damn environment you friggin' mongoloid.
Wow, LitterHater, maybe you should just change your name to what really seems to be...Hater.
Wow LitterHater, Why don't you just change your name to what it really seems to be...Hater.
Now if we can just get that area frozen over between Greenland and Norway we can run trucks over there and speed up shipping times. Otherwise, WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!
There's no such thing as global warming...Fox News told me so...