16 September 2008

Media Advisory: Arctic sea ice reaches lowest extent for 2008

This is a joint announcement with NASA and the University of Colorado at Boulder. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder. NSIDC scientists provide Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis content, with partial support from NASA.

The Arctic sea ice cover appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the second-lowest extent recorded since the dawn of the satellite era. While slightly above the record-low minimum set in 2007, this season further reinforces the strong negative trend in summertime sea ice extent observed over the past thirty years.

NSIDC will issue a formal press release at the beginning of October with full analysis of the possible causes behind this year's low ice conditions, particularly interesting aspects of the melt season, the set up going into the winter growth season ahead, and graphics comparing this year to the long-term record.

Full NSIDC announcement: http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
NSIDC press office: srenfrow@nsidc.org or +1 303.492.1497

NASA announcement: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/sea_ice_nsidc.html
NASA visualizations: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?3556 and http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?3547

Link to news release: http://nsidc.org/news/press/20080916_minimum_MA.html