Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 8 March 2018
Science Says: Arctic not so chill this record warm winter

By SETH BORENSTEIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Win-
ter at the top of the world
wimped out this year.
The Arctic just finished its
warmest winter on record.
And sea ice hit record lows
for this time of year, with
plenty of open water where
ocean water normally
freezes into thick sheets of
ice, new U.S. weather data
show.
Scientists say what's hap-
pening is unprecedented,
part of a global warming-
driven vicious cycle that
likely plays a role in strong,
icy storms in Europe and
the U.S. Northeast.
"It's just crazy, crazy stuff,"
said Mark Serreze, director
of the National Snow and
Ice Data Center in Boulder,
Colorado, who has been
studying the Arctic since
1982. "These heat waves,
I've never seen anything
like this." It's been so un- In this March 2, 2018, file photo, palm trees are dusted in snow after a snowfall in front of Milan's Gothic Cathedral, Italy.
usually warm that the land Associated Press
weather station closest to
the North Pole — at the above normal for the win- square kilometers) smaller Sea, said data center se- especially in winter.
tip of Greenland — spent ter, according to data from than last year's record low, nior scientist Walt Meier. To The theory is still debated
more than 60 hours above climatologist Brian Brettsch- the ice data center said be happening on opposite but gaining acceptance. It
freezing in February. Before neider of the International Tuesday. The difference is sides of the Arctic at the suggests that reduced sea
this year, scientists had seen Arctic Research Center at an area about the size of same time is unusual, Meier ice, especially in the winter,
the temperature there rise the University of Alaska Fair- the state of Georgia. Sea said. reduces the difference in
above freezing in February banks. ice coverage in February While some natural weath- atmospheric pressure be-
only twice before, and only Meteorologists consider also was 521,000 square er fronts were involved, "cli- tween the Arctic and mid-
ever so briefly. Last month's December, January and miles (1.4 million square kilo- mate change is the over- latitudes, weakening the
record-hot temperatures February to be winter, and meters) below the 30-year riding thing," Meier said. jet stream. The jet stream
at Cape Morris Jesup have Arctic weather stations av- normal — an area nearly "When you have warmer is the usually fast-moving
been more like those in eraged 8.8 degrees (4.9 de- twice the size of Texas. temperatures you are go- west-east current of air that
May, said Ruth Mottram, grees Celsius) warmer than Sea ice is frozen ocean wa- ing to melt more ice and it's affects daily weather and
a climate scientist at the normal for the season that ter that — in contrast to ice- going to grow more slowly." moves storm fronts along.
Danish Meteorological In- just ended. The air above bergs and glaciers — forms, In the winter, sea ice "acts A weaker jet stream often
stitute. the Chukchi and Bering grows and melts on the as a lid to keep the warmth means strange weather,
But it's more than that one seas near Alaska averaged ocean. It is still growing, but of the water at bay" but leaving storms stuck in
place. Across the Arctic about 20 degrees (11 de- "whatever we grow now is when there is less sea ice, place for days on end, said
Circle in Barrow, Alaska, grees Celsius) warmer than going to be thin stuff" that more heat goes into the air, one of the theory's lead-
February was 18 degrees normal for February, the easily melts in the summer, Brettschneider said. "You ing proponents, Rutgers
(10 degrees Celsius) warm- data center reported. Serreze said. end up with a vicious cycle University's Jennifer Francis.
er than normal and the en- "The extended warmth re- Near Greenland, warm of warm air preventing sea She points to recent U.S.
tire winter averaged 14 de- ally has kind of staggered air moved north up over a ice formation and lack of nor'easters and freak snow-
grees (7.8 degrees Celsius) all of us," Mottram said. section of the Atlantic that sea ice allowing warmth to storms in Europe.
above normal. Of nearly In February, Arctic sea ice usually has sea ice, Mot- escape into the air." "This is what we've been
three dozen different Arc- covered 5.4 million square tram said. Something simi- One scientific theory is that talking about; it couldn't be
tic weather stations, 15 of miles (13.9 million square lar was happening in the this is changing weather more classic," Francis said.
them were at least 10 de- kilometers), about 62,000 Pacific with open water on further south and plays a "If you look at the whole
grees (5.6 degrees Celsius) square miles (160,000 the normally iced up Bering role with extreme events, picture, the whole jet
stream around the northern
hemisphere, it's had these
very large excursions north
and south and that's led to
all of the wacky weather."
"The underlying disease
that's causing this is getting
worse," Francis said, refer-
ring to heat-trapping gases
from the burning of coal, oil
and gas. "These are just the
symptoms." q