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10. Arctic Sea Ice MinimumOn Septempber 14, Arctic sea ice was measured at its second-lowest extent on record. The previous year, it measured the lowest ever. The 2008 coverage area was nearly a million square miles smaller than the 1979 to 2000 average, dramatically strengthening the long-term downward trend of sea ice extent.Global Warming Link: While not an explicit weather event, the reduction in sea ice is already impacting weather in Alaska, Standing water, rather than ice, changes the coastal microclimate by increasing temperatures, winds and unstable air. People are now more able than in the past to sail to the North Pole. They also can sail through the Northwest Passage in the summer without hitting ice. Expert: Bob Corell, global@dmv.com or corell@heinzctr.org, 202-737-6307 Consensus Science: "Melting of highly reflective Arctic snow and ice reveals darker land and ocean surfaces, increasing absorption of the sun's heat and further warming of the planet. "ix _____________________________________ ixThe Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report, Impacts of a Warming Arctic, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, issued in 2004, is available at: http://amap.no/acia! Back to Extreme Weather 2008 Home |
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1. Hurricane Ike |
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