There is no explanation for the increase in Antarctic sea ice extent

Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Breaks All-Time Record

Much of what we know and conclude about climate change is based on computer models, which have proven to be inaccurate over the years, and the Antarctic sea ice growth is another example of where the model went wrong.
Despite the overwhelming number of commercials, educational institutions and global organizations that have been warning humanity about the melting of sea ice in the Arctic, things aren’t always as they are made to seem. This may sound hard to believe especially considering ‘global warming’ has been dominating human perception for years. Arctic ice extent makes up 10 percent of the world’s ice extent, it’s this area that is used as one ‘proof’ to suggest that global warming is accelerating.(16)Antarctic ice extent, on the other hand, makes up 90 percent of the world’s ice extent.(16) The worlds ice extent doesn’t really seem to be melting. Antarctic sea ice extent is currently at an all time high, and has many scientists scratching their heads. (1)(17) We are supposed to be experiencing significant global warming, so why is the ice growing and not melting? The Antarctic has even recently broke the all time record set for ice extent in recorded satellite history.(17)

Please keep in mind that if you doubt global warming, and the current explanations for climate change you are not alone. That is touched upon later in this article so please read before you comment. This article is just presenting information.

Antarctic ice extent has reached approximately 20 million square kilometers, it’s already broken the all-time record ice extent set in September of 2012. (1)(2) Melting sea ice in Antarctica has long been attributed to global warming. This was the generally accepted idea, but it’s important to note that the increase in sea ice extent does not necessarily contradict global warming. A study published in theJournal of Climate by Jinlun Zhang, a University of Washington scientist reports that:

The polar vortex that swirls around the South Pole is not just stronger than it was when satellite records began in the 1970s, it has more convergence, meaning it shoves the sea ice together to cause ridging. Stronger winds also drive ice faster, which leads to still more deformation and ridging. This creates thicker, longer-lasting ice, while exposing surrounding water and thin ice to the blistering cold winds that cause more ice growth (3)

As far as why the winds are behaving this way, it is unknown. At the same time, we also have published studies in the Journal of Climate that notes computer models simulating a decline in ice extent, not an increase. (4) This goes against everything, given the fact that we are observing an increase in sea ice extent. This is, and was completely unexpected.

A study published by Lorenzo Polvani and Karen Smith of Columbia University says that the sea ice increase may just reflect natural variability. And others say that the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer (which is happening now) maybe be slowing/delaying Antarctic warming and ice melt.(5)

Another study out of NASA says that the oceans are warming, and that this is melting the ice from underneath.(6) This study came out around the same time that we are observing greater sea ice extent. With so many explanations and possibilities, coupled with contradictory statements from different published studies, it’s hard to know what is really going on, and ignorant for anyone to say that we know for sure. There are so many factors with regards to climate change that it’s necessary to keep an open mind.

Several possible explanations have been offered for the increase of ice, and based on the different explanations it’s hard for anyone to say for sure what the cause of the growth in ice is. Here is yet another explanation from Climate Central:

The seeming paradox of Antarctic ice increasing while Arctic ice is decreasing is really no paradox at all. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land. while the Antarctic is land surrounded by ocean. In the Arctic, moreover. you’ve got sea ice decreasing in the summer; at the opposite pole, you’ve got sea ice increasing in the winter. It’s not just an apples and oranges comparison: it’s more like comparing apple pie with orange juice (1)

The point I would like to get across is that there is no explanation for the increase in Antarctic sea ice extent, this paradox remains to be solved and many theories and possibilities have been proposed, each suggesting something different.

What also brings more confusion to this subject is the fact that we know very little about Earth’s climate, climate change and what triggers global change on our planet. Sure, the pollution we create definitely doesn’t help, it’s responsible for destroying ecosystems and habitats all over the world, which I believe does play a role in climate change. As far as what role it plays remains unclear for a number of reasons.


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Read more: www.collective-evolution.com

Sources:

(0) http://www.space.com/19280-solar-activity-earth-climate.html

(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/antarctic-sea-ice-reaches-greatest-extent-so-late-in-season-2nd-largest-extent-on-record/2012/09/28/472625d8-098e-11e2-a10c-fa5a255a9258_blog.html

(2) http://www.livescience.com/39720-antarctica-ice-record-highs-2013.html

(3) http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00139.1

(4) http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00246.1#cor1

(5) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50578/abstract

(6) http://climate.nasa.gov/news/983

(7) http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/22mar_saber/

(8) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512120523.htm

(9) http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/sungrazing-comets.html

(10)http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/22mar_saber/

(11) http://english.pravda.ru/science/earth/11-01-2009/106922-earth_ice_age-1/

(12) http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/labs/Lab10_Vostok/Vostok.htm

(13)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/nasa-global-warming-letter-astronauts_n_1418017.html

(14) http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-scientists-dispute-climate-change-2012-4

(15) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8SSqc7ekM

(16) https://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf0050/arctic/seaice.htm

(17) http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=82160&src=twitter