NASA Says Arctic Cyclone Helped Break Up Sea Ice in August
Posted on September 23, 2012
NASA says a large Arctic cyclone helped break up thinning sea ice on the Arctic Ocean's frozen ice cap last month. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reports that Arctic sea ice reached its lowest summer minimum extent in the satellite record this year. NASA says the polar low was unusual for summer.
Paul Newman, chief scientist for atmospheric sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in an announcement, "It's an uncommon event, especially because it's occurring in the summer. Polar lows are more usual in the winter."
Claire Parkinson, a climate scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a separate statement, "The storm definitely seems to have played a role in this year's unusually large retreat of the ice. But that exact same storm, had it occurred decades ago when the ice was thicker and more extensive, likely wouldn't have had as prominent an impact, because the ice wasn't as vulnerable then as it is now."
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