Analysis of satellite photos taken 2 days ago on August 29th indicate the extent of this years polar ice melt. Vast areas are completely ice free. However, what remains is highly fractured. There are vast areas where only 20%-30% of the ice remains. One researcher recently commented: “It’s impossible to get to the north pole this summer without a boat.”
The photo shows exactly how fractured the polar ice was just two days ago. The bright white areas show solid ice, darker areas show a mix of sea and ice. The western part of the photo shows vast areas where ice density has fallen to 50% or less.
News outlets are missing the crisis that is developing in the arctic. “We’ve seen reports about how disappearing ice means shorter routes to far eastern manufacturing centres and how new oil and gas fields will open up as arctic ice receeds, but there has been little reported about how accelerating climate change is starting to destabilise the world population and the UK economy.”
Last year, polar ice shrank to the lowest amount in recorded human history. This year’s ice melt is coming in a very close second, and may still beat last year’s record before the melting season is finished at the end of September. “With so much dark ocean water replacing polar ice heat is being absorbed very rapidly whch leads to further melting.” U.S. Navy satellite data continues to show temperatures in the region up to 9C above normal.
The continued loss of the polar icecap is expected to have dramatic effects on the UK’s weather patterns putting at risk normal agricultural activity leading to lower crop yields and increasing food prices.
