Statement From Eighth Meeting of the International Ice Charting Working Group
European Space Agency's Centre for Earth Observation
Frascati, Italy
For further information, please go to:
http://nsidc.org/noaa/iicwg/
The International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG), following its
eighth meeting held in October 2007, at the European Space Agency's
Centre for Earth Observation (ESRIN) in Frascati, Italy, issued a
statement that predicts more marine transportation in the Arctic as sea
ice continues to diminish and warns of significant hazards to
navigation.
The ESRIN meeting included operational ice experts from Europe and North
America who gathered to discuss the state of the polar regions. IICWG
was formed in October 1999 to promote cooperation between the world's
ice centers on all matters concerning sea ice and icebergs. Members of
the IICWG include the ice services of Canada, Denmark (Greenland),
Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, United
States, and the International Ice Patrol.
The statement released by IICWG includes the following:
- The minimum arctic ice extent of 4.1 million square kilometers was
reached on September 16. This shattered the previous record low of 5.3
million sq. km. in 2005. The long-term average minimum is 6.7 million
sq. km.
- The area covered by ice within this extent is also at an all-time low,
reflecting a thinner, weaker ice pack.
- The major ice retreat was away from the Siberian Arctic coastline
towards Canada and Greenland, although the Taymyr ice massif persisted
throughout the summer in the Laptev Sea, blocking the entrance to
Vilkitsky Strait. With the exception of this short but critical area,
the Northern Sea Route was completely ice-free from August 22 until
mid-October.
- This is the second year in a row that sea ice conditions in the
Canadian Arctic have been extremely light and navigation in the
Northwest Passage has been virtually unhindered by sea ice from the
middle of August until well into October.
- This year's reduction in sea ice extent has been much larger than
expected. Given recent trends in the reduction in summer sea ice extent,
the 2007 extent would not have been expected for decades.
- However, increased export of sea ice from the Arctic Ocean caused a
return to near-normal conditions around Greenland after several years of
low ice concentrations. Sea ice also reached the coast of Iceland, an
infrequent occurrence.
- A decrease in arctic sea ice is consistent with what scientists expect
as a result of global climate change.
For further information and to read the complete IICWG statement, please
go to:
http://nsidc.org/noaa/iicwg/