01/07/2021 3 Minutes Read
A new study of 40 years of satellite data shows that the Arctic sea ice cover is shrinking as the melting period gets longer.
Arctic sea ice extent for December 2020 was 11.77 million sq km. Image courtesy NSIDC
Year 2020 was extraordinary for the Arctic in many ways – from unprecedented wildfires to record breaking temperatures to one of the lowest sea ice in satellite record. And it ended the year with a similar grim news – the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSDIC) measured sea ice at December 2020 end among the lowest in the satellite record as air temperatures for the month recorded higher than average in most areas. Throughout the summers, the entire Siberian region was going through an intense heat wave as many towns experienced record-breaking temperatures. On June 20, the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk recorded 38 degrees Celsius. (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) – the highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic!