16 September cap of the Arctic ocean has reached the annual minimum and set a new record, according to national data center for the study of snow and ice USA (NSIDC).
The average minimum previous thirty years marked by a yellow line. (Image from NASA / Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio.)

Analysis of satellite data from NASA and the NSIDC data held Colorado University, confirmed that the area of sea ice in the day were 3.41 million km2.

New at least 760 thousand km2 less than that of previous anti record set in the middle of September 2007 (4.17 million km2). Just for reference: the area of the Irkutsk region equal 775,3 thousand km2.

Experts warn that there is still time for further reductions. The results of summer season will bring only in October.

Arctic sea ice naturally grows dark polar winter and recedes with the advent of the spring sun. But summer minimum, usually reached in September, declining for the past three decades, the growth of temperature of air and water of the Arctic ocean. At least this year is roughly half the average 1979-2000 period. Besides, today the area of Arctic sea ice for the first time fell below 4 million km2.

"Climate models predict a decrease in sea ice in the Arctic, but the actual deviation is much faster than anticipated, emphasizes Claire Parkinson of space flight Center NASA them. Goddard. - There is a considerable interannual variability in ice cover, but in the long run retreat obvious".

Ice thickness is also reduced. "The basis of the ice caps is perennial ice, which is usually going through the summer due to its thickness, explains Joey Comiso from the same institution. - But because from year to year the ice is thin, it melts increasingly hunting. Endangered old ice gives way to winter thin seasonal ice, which usually disappears in summer.

This year problems have added a powerful cyclone that formed off the coast of Alaska and caught 5 August in the centre of the Arctic ocean, where he spent several days churned already weakened ice cover. The storm cut a big piece of sea ice to the North of the Chukchi sea and pushed him to the South, to the warm waters, where he was completely destroyed. He also planted a huge ice fields into smaller pieces that are easier to melt.

"Storm, certainly played a role in the extremely powerful retreat of the ice this year, " says Mrs. Parkinson. - But exactly the same storm, if she decades ago, when the ice was thick and held more likely would not have such a strong impact, because the ice was not so weak as it is now".

Data on the concentration of ice NASA scientists get with microwave instruments probes Defense meteorological satellite program, and information about the wind provide National centres forecasting of the environment.