Chicago (IL) - In contrast to the looming 30-year trend of overall diminishing ice growth, the Arctic Ocean is again showing signs of a return to large ice packs. In 2008, first year ice coverage grew significantly. It set a record covering 73% of the entire Arctic basin. Because most of this was first year ice, and therefore thin, it was more prone to melting during the summer months. And while that did happen, the amount of first year ice is still large, possibly indicating the beginning of a trend.

The 2008 season is the second lowest on record in terms of ice extent. The permanent ice pack was larger in surface area, but smaller in terms of overall ice due to its relative thinness. Experts believe that this mild upward tick in the amount of ice seen, one which reverses momentarily the 30-year downward trend, is no uptick at all.

Despite the large amount of first year ice which remains, said NSIDC's Mark Serreze, "When you look at the sharp decline that we’ve seen over the past thirty years, a 'recovery' from lowest to second lowest is no recovery at all . Both within and beyond the Arctic, the implications of the decline are enormous."

The ice has declined an average of 11% to 12% per year over the past 30 years, which many scientists attribute to global warming. Says NSIDC research scientist Julienne Stroeve, "I find it incredible that we came so close to beating the 2007 record — without the especially warm and clear conditions we saw last summer. I hate to think what 2008 might have looked like if weather patterns had set up in a more extreme way."

At the end of the 2008 melting season, much first year ice remains, which means that next year it will be two year ice. And we'll have to wait until the end of next September to see how well the ice survived the global warming of 2009.

yay!

Oct 06, 2008 11:25     

i can't wait to read all the comments of skeptics saying that this tiny bit of info proves global warming doesn't exist. ohhh the pooor uneducated fools.
mr. scientist report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -9

Negative Spin

Oct 06, 2008 11:27     

I enjoy the negative spin. Although this is a good thing they cannot wait to throw in the words global warming. They act as if we are expected to reverse temperatures in one year. So maybe it is 2nd to last, but maybe next year it will be considered 3rd to last. And eventually the naturally caused life cycle will be over.
Dave report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +7

Global Warming is a Myth!!!

Oct 06, 2008 11:51     

Manmade Global Warming Is A Myth, Now We Have Global Cooling!!! Knowing a lot about Meteorology, I can say that the Sunspot counts were at a record low last year, and as a result we have had record cold all over the world, I know the temps in the Midwest US were at a Historical low, they have had the coldest Winter last year than all of the 20th century. and looking at the chart below, one can see the 1996 as another year which has not many sunspots, that year in Philadelphia, I had to dig out of over 30 inches of snow in one day, we had a bitter winter then. I expect this winter to be even colder than last year, in fact, if sunspots don't start up again we could fall into another Ice Age or at least a partial one. Al Gore and his Cult of manmade global warming myth can chew on this one for awhile, his Cult only wanted to trick the World into a Global Carbon Tax, please do not vote for Obama, he is pushing for the same Cult!!! If you are voting 3rd Party, you must realize you have no shot at winning, we must all join with McCain to defeat the (dictator to be) Obama!!!! http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30sep_blankyear.htm?list900662

Steve report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +4

RE @ Global Warming is a Myth!!!

Oct 06, 2008 12:01     

Global warming will melt the ice-caps then cause an ice-age by disrupting ocean currents. Global warming doesn't mean that every place on earth is simultaneously getting warmer every year, it is an average across the earth's surface. myth my @$$
BDF report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -9

Historical Lows?!?!

Oct 06, 2008 12:06     

Steve, I live in the midwest. We had a very warm winter this year. We haven't had a really cold winter in over 10 years.
Aaron report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

For The Educated, Those That Are Not Brainwasher By MSM

Oct 06, 2008 12:16     

Please visit this site, read learn and wake up: http://iceagenow.com/
Steve report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

It's a myth

Oct 06, 2008 12:26     

Read the facts. Dozens of scientists have come out saying that this is just a result of a global cycle because IT HAPPENED BEFORE THE INVENTION OF THE ENGINE!
ME report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

this site is too right winged

Oct 06, 2008 12:39     

stick to your tech kids. leave earth science to those who have graduated from a real university and not devry. global warming exists, don't spam your propoganda sites in the comments, and look up what carbon dioxide is.
lester report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -13

RE: Global Warming is a Myth

Oct 06, 2008 12:53     

McCain believes in man made global warming and a carbon cap and trade system; just like Obama. A little prepost factchecking would go a long way.
Ryan report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

@lester this site isn't right-wing

Oct 06, 2008 13:32     

It's just that global warming and super-colliders bring the crazies out of the woodwork. Though it was nice of you to make all liberals look like a bunch of snobish pr*cks with your "devry" comment.
hank report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +13

cool...

Oct 06, 2008 13:33     

Its nice to see a icehole getting packed.
Captain Snowflake report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +6

It's not a question of beliefs, but of facts

Oct 06, 2008 13:51     

Whatever McCain, Obama, Gore or Bush believes doesn't transform these beliefs into facts. Constant repetition of an idea doesn't make it a truth. Don't listen to oracles and prophets. Do your own research. Develop your own opinion. You can start there: http://www.climatedebatedaily.com/
BernardP report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

Global Cooling?

Oct 06, 2008 14:03     

I wonder if scientist will blame man for global cooling like they did with global warming. Since it is cooling, perhaps people should produce more co2?
TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +13

no on has mentiond this yet but..

Oct 06, 2008 14:04     

why is this artile being posted on tg daily? Rick C. Hodgin are you posting these articles for more views? you're turning normally rational people into hysterical people on both ends. guys, stop commenting, this has nothing to do with technology. lets stop supporting these kinds of articles.
Jonas report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -7

Watch the sunspots

Oct 06, 2008 14:16     

If the current sunspot minimum continues, watch for ice cover to increase and global warming to reverse. There is a historical correspondence between solar activity and temperatures on earth - search wiki for the Maunder Minimum and the Medieval Warming Period for an introduction to the idea. There appear to be periods of upward or downward trends in solar activity that last approximately 300 years each.

Scott report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +7

GC not PC?

Oct 06, 2008 14:39     

I guess one might not hear about the global warming reverseing to global cooling since it is not political correct. I guess the media likes to blame man for all the problems even though there might be some indicating man is not to blame. :)
TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +8

Decrease in temps since 1998

Oct 06, 2008 16:46     

Decrease in temperature since 1998...
Grayson report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +6

11%-12% for 30 years?

Oct 06, 2008 16:49     

Don't you mean 11%-12% more YOY? Or are you trying to imply that all the ice disappeared nearly 20 years ago?
lolsauce report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

stock market....

Oct 06, 2008 17:37     

Its supposed to be a cold year this year... and the stock market is crashing. When the market was going up so was the stock market...
caeden report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

Heres the truth

Oct 06, 2008 19:22     

Recent lowered sunspot activity... a precursor to a Coronal Mass Ejection expected in 2009 of the likes the earth has not witnessed since 1799. We are in a natural course four an ice age due to galactic alignment. However all the chemtrail sprayin in the skies is keeping our atmosphere insulated and keeping the heat in, despite the effects of the barium, cadmium and aluminium sulfates contained in the chemtrails and their effects on our health. Global Warming is a myth. When the mainstream media or Al Gore in this case, say look left, you gotta look right.

Rdawg report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

RE @ Global Warming is a Myth!!!

Oct 07, 2008 01:33     

Latest data about ocean currents conclude that they haven't decreased at all. So, the climate models are wrong. What now, ignore reality?
a report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

Great videos debunking global warming

Oct 07, 2008 12:29     

http://iceagenow.com/Great_vid...arming.htm
Steve report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

Mythed Again

Oct 07, 2008 13:28     

The global warming trend itself is not a myth, but the idea that it is caused by humans is ridiculous. While we might have some small affect, the planet warms and cools due to natural internal and external processes. The Man-made Global Warming Hoax has become big business with a lot of people making a lot of money supporting the idea and doing their best to shout down anyone (especially scientists) who disagrees with them. Some are in it because they like to see industrial development stifled. Look at the data again. CO2 level increases following temperature increases with a time delay of several hundred years. They don't cause temperature increases, it's the other way around. Arctic ice has trended toward decline leading up to this season, but Antarctic ice has actually been getting thicker for some time. http://quuzlfut.wordpress.com/

Quuzlfut report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +4

Co2 and water?

Oct 08, 2008 13:38     

Doesn't CO2 have negative solubility in water? By that I mean, can't WARM water actually absorb LESS CO2 than COLD water? If so wouldn't that explain the increase in CO2 in the atomosphere TRAILING the increase in temperature by several hunder years? Isn't that when your soda get's warm, it goes flat? someone stop me if I'm way off here....
-- report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

So great to know there's people that understand

Oct 08, 2008 15:22     

For all those that think Global Warming is fact and caused by man, you also believe that Al Gore invented the internet. It's a myth. You can't prove that it existed because of man. Just because tempatures go up doesn't mean we're doing it. It's because the heater(the sun) has more activity. I doubt humans have any affect on the sun. I do live in the midwest. One of the coldest states. This past winter was so cold. When it was 0 degrees F, that was warm. I remember it being on usually about -10 to -30 for 3 weeks. I kept on trying to burn everything to get this 'Global Warming' working. It's a hoax and it's costing our governments and economy. People need to understand that.

Headward report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

Global warming is real

Oct 10, 2008 09:00     

Ignoring a problem does not make it go away. It is quite funny that when real quality data; done by the world's leading researchers and scientists confirms 'Global Warming' that there are still ignorant idiots out there defying the best minds in the field. You people that think Global warming is a myth reminds me of Robert Mughabe. He thinks the situation in Zimbabwe is stable.
Raj Athen report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

@Raj Athen

Oct 10, 2008 17:09     

"Ignoring a problem does not make it go away." Making up a problem doesn't make it fact and/or real. I guess if you repeat the lies over and over, you'll truely believe that it does exist. We're always putting more and more CO2 into the air each year - FACT So IF global warming was true tempatures would always go up, never going down. But the truth is, that crazy environMENTALists make up some crap to try to scare the public. I'm all for stopping fossil fuels, but only doing it because the fossil fuels will run out.

Headward report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

Global warming is not a myth...

Dec 07, 2008 15:17     

Global warming is not a myth
Co report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

Do your own research

Jan 11, 2009 20:16     

Before you jump on any band wagon, do some homework. Some research indicates that we are still climbing out of the last mini-ice age, so yes there is global warming. There are some indications we are headed back into a mini ice age similar to the 1400's. Study the European and Russian articles; the Atlantic currents have changed. There is limited evidence that human activity in the form of CO2 is the cause since it is such a small part of the greenhouse gases, H2O being the greatest. In fact, some data suggests that CO2 is a result of warming (more flora and fauna), not the cause. There are indications that all the planets have increased in temp after the last solar cycle. Bottom line, it is unreasonable to point to a single cause when historic and ancient evidence points to warming periods without human activity. Warming is a natural trend as are cooling periods. By pointing to the last decade and suggest the sky is falling is premature AND, if it is, it's too late to change the current cycle. That does not mean we should not strive for cleaner burning fuels and efficiencies, but let's do it for the right reasons, not the political intent to "spread the wealth," weaken the dollar, strengthen China and India and Gore's bank account.

Jim N report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2