GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 30, NO. 3, 1110, doi:10.1029/2002GL016406, 2003

A record minimum arctic sea ice extent and area in 2002

M. C. Serreze

National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado, USA

J. A. Maslanik

Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado, USA

T. A. Scambos, F. Fetterer, J. Stroeve, and K. Knowles

National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado, USA

C. Fowler and S. Drobot

Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado, USA

R. G. Barry and T. M. Haran

National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado, USA

Abstract

[1]   Arctic sea ice extent and area in September 2002 reached their lowest levels recorded since 1978. These conditions likely resulted from (1) anomalous warm southerly winds in spring, advecting ice poleward from the Siberian coast (2) persistent low pressure and high temperatures over the Arctic Ocean in summer, promoting ice divergence and rapid melt.

Received 7 October 2002; revised 22 November 2002; accepted 26 December 2002; published 5 February 2003.

Index Terms: 4215 Oceanography: General: Climate and interannual variability (3309); 1620 Global Change: Climate dynamics (3309); 1863 Hydrology: Snow and ice (1827); 1640 Global Change: Remote sensing; 1635 Global Change: Oceans (4203).

AGU

Citation: Serreze, M. C., J. A. Maslanik, T. A. Scambos, F. Fetterer, J. Stroeve, K. Knowles, C. Fowler, S. Drobot, R. G. Barry, and T. M. Haran, A record minimum arctic sea ice extent and area in 2002, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(3), 1110, doi:10.1029/2002GL016406, 2003.