Have a good weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 11th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 130,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 1,000,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,050,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,720,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
News: AGU provides critical support for the independent Arctic Report Card and the Card has new online home:
news.agu.org/press-release/arc…
The Arctic Report Card, the annual peer-reviewed assessment of the state of the warming Arctic, will continue under its independent editorial team with new support from the American Geophysical Union.AGU Newsroom
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
Have a good week! Here's your Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 12th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 130,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 990,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,000,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,710,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-fi…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
The EU will boost Greenland investment amid Trump annexation claims.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce increased EU investment in Greenland on Monday, including in critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy.
Her two-day visit signals support for Greenland and Denmark amid US President Donald Trump’s push for American control of the Arctic territory.
mediafaro.org/article/20260907…
#Greenland #EuropeanCommission #Denmark #NATO #Arctic #EU
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce increased EU investment in Greenland on Monday, including in critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy. Her two-day visit …France24
A longer perspective for August #Arctic sea ice extent (since the year 1850)...
You can access this dataset at doi.org/10.7265/jj4s-tq79
The U.S. National Ice Center's Northwest Passage (connecting the northwest Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean) sea ice analysis product was last updated three weeks ago. This is not helpful.
@Climatologist49 @ZLabe
usicecenter.gov/Products/Arcti…
U.S. National Ice Center's Arctic seasonal products section that are produced during a certain time of year. Contains Arctic sea route charts and the North American Ice Service 30-Day outlooks.usicecenter.gov
Have a good weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 11th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 110,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 1,000,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,000,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,720,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More views: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
August 2026 #Arctic sea ice extent was the 11th lowest on record for the month...
This was 1,640,000 km² below the 1981-2010 average. August ice extent is decreasing at about 9.60% per decade (albeit with clear decadal variability). Data: nsidc.org/data/seaice_index
Sea surface temperatures are warming across the entire periphery of the #Arctic Ocean in September.
This is especially observed in areas with long-term declines in sea ice concentration, such around the Chukchi and Kara Seas.
Data from NOAA OISSTv2.1. For more info: doi.org/10.25923/pz7y-3b10
Arctic Ocean sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the summer are primarily influenced by the amount of incoming solar radiation absorbed by the sea surface and by the flow of warm waters into the Arctic from the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.doi.org
Now a closer look at changes in September temperatures in only the #Arctic by decade. The largest warming is co-located with areas of melting sea ice, such as the along the Eurasian coast.
Data from doi.org/10.24381/cds.f17050d7
Have a good week! Here's your Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 12th lowest on record (JAXA data)
• about 130,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 960,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,960,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,690,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
Have a great weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 12th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 110,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 970,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,960,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,700,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics to share: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
Trends in August air temperatures show greater warming around the perimeter of the #Arctic Ocean, especially in the Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, and Canadian Arctic Archipelago regions.
Data from @CopernicusECMWF ERA5 reanalysis; more info: doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-26-0123…
Simulated reconstruction of August #Arctic sea ice thickness since 1901. Watch for the last 10 years or so...
Information about this data set is available at psc.apl.uw.edu/research/projec…. Note that it is only updated through 2010 due to ERA-20C forcing.
PIOMAS-20C Sea Ice Thickness Reconstructionaxel (Polar Science Center)
One of the hot spots in the #Arctic this summer has been across western/northern Siberia and extending into the Barents and Kara Seas. This is also reflected in much warmer than average sea surface temperatures, which will be a feature in our annual report. Sea ice is unsurprisingly below average.
Data from @CopernicusECMWF ERA5 reanalysis.
Temperature anomalies across the #Arctic over the last 12 months...
Data from @CopernicusECMWF ERA5 reanalysis.
Have a good week! Here's your Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 13th lowest on record for the date (JAXA data)...
• about 130,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 910,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,930,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,610,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
Annual #Arctic air temperature anomalies over the last 120 years... what do you see?
Data from Berkeley Earth. Graphic by zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-fi…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
Have a nice weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 13th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 150,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 870,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,860,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,530,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
Much of the #Arctic Ocean region is also getting wetter in the month of August, as estimated by GPCP. The largest trends are found in the Barents-Kara Seas region, which correlates with warmer sea surface temperatures and less sea ice.
Data: psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/data…
Info: doi.org/10.25923/11nn-hn03
Annual precipitation over the Arctic region, taken here as poleward of 60° N, is characterized by high totals over the Atlantic sector due to open water and the frequent passage of storm systems, locally exceeding 2000 mm, and generally dry condition…doi.org
A reconstruction of July #Arctic sea ice extent since 1850 and compared with 2026...
Data provided by doi.org/10.7265/jj4s-tq79. Note the mid-20th century warm period (doi.org/10.1002/wcc.522), which remains an active area of research.
A view of the rapidly thinning #Arctic sea ice cover by decade... 📉
More info on data: climatedataguide.ucar.edu/clim…
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🌀 Researchers used X-ray CT and #microscopy to map a #narwhal tusk in #3D.
They found a second, inner spiral running opposite the outer one, a #doublehelix that keeps the #tusk stiff yet flexible, letting it bend without cracking. They hope the tusk’s growth layers record changing #ocean conditions over the #animal’s long life.
👉 arstechnica.com/science/2026/0…
#science #marinebiology #biology #whales #arctic #materials #ctscan #nature #biomechanics #wildlife
New study finds that the tusks have not one but two spirals, twisting in opposite directions.Jennifer Ouellette (Ars Technica)
Update on mid-August sea ice conditions around the Arctic in the latest from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Available on beehiiv and substack. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.…
alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/a…
Ice extent “typically low” for the 2020sRick Thoman (Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter)
#Arctic air temperature rank by month over the satellite era - now updated through July 2026...
+ Ranks: 1=warmest (red), 47/48=coldest (blue)
+ Download higher resolution:
+ Data from @CopernicusECMWF: doi.org/10.24381/cds.f17050d7
ERA5 is the fifth generation ECMWF reanalysis for the global climate and weather for the past 8 decades. Data is available from 1940 onwards. ERA5 replaces the ERA-Interim reanalysis.doi.org
Have a good week! Here's your Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 8th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 40,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,050,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,980,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,2620,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
It's time! Join me in tracking this year's #Arctic sea ice minimum! A new record is unlikely again this year.
Sea ice melt substantially slows every September as solar energy decreases and temperatures drop in the far north.
Follow along with the data at zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
#Arctic climate rankings are now in for July 2026: zacklabe.com/archive-2026/
No update available for sea-ice volume or thickness. #SciComm #DataViz #OpenScience #OpenData
December 2026 November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 Other climate year statistics: Data Archive –…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
"Trump administration pulls support for annual Arctic environmental report"
#US #USA #America #Arctic #Environment
theguardian.com/us-news/2026/a…
Move by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is latest government rollback of climate science activityMaya Yang (the Guardian)
Monday was a tough day when we learned that NOAA was ending support for the Arctic Report Card. Since then we've received many expressions of solidarity, showing the value of the ARC to a wide audience. For that I am VERY grateful. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
Have a great weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 11th lowest on record (JAXA data)
• about 100,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 900,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,800,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,500,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐋🎵 In 1984-85, thousands of belugas trapped in #Arctic pack #ice off #Russia’s #Chukchi Peninsula faced starvation.
The #icebreaker Moskva crushed an escape channel, playing #classical #music to coax the herd forward. Roughly 2,000 survived and about 1,000 died, though the music’s role stayed unverified.
👉 zmescience.com/feature-post/hi…
#beluga #whales #marine #rescue #animals #behavior #ocean #conservation #engineering #history #sovietunion #ussr #wildlife #marinebiology #biology #science
Sometimes, you just need an icebreaker and some classical music to make your day better.Alexandru Micu (ZME Science)
💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🐕🧬 Archaeologist Peter Mitchell’s new #book draws on #archaeology, #genetics, and #ethnography to argue that #dogs and #humans evolved together as partners over roughly 15,000 years.
Dogs developed specialized traits matching each region’s #climate and needs, from #Arctic sled dogs built for hauling to agile #tropical hunting dogs, resulting in a varied set of co-evolutionary paths across the globe.
👉 phys.org/news/2026-08-dogs-evo…
#evolution #science #history #anthropology #animals #pets #wildlife #biology #culture
We call them "man's best friend," and the evidence supports it. Dogs have been found buried alongside humans in graves dating back 14,000 years.Taylor & Francis (Phys.org)
Evolution of July #Arctic sea ice and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies during the satellite-era...
A summary of last month can be found from @CopernicusECMWF at climate.copernicus.eu/sea-ice-…
*SST data set (OISSTv2.1) is only available since about 1982
In July 2026, Arctic sea ice extent ranked sixth lowest for the month, with particularly low sea ice cover in the northern Barents Sea around Svalbard and Franz Josef Land.climate.copernicus.eu
Have a good week! Here's your Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 13th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 160,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 760,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,660,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,250,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-fi…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
The American Meteorological Society’s annual “State of the Climate” for 2025 is out.
From the Arctic Chapter: "The Arctic had its second-warmest year in the 126-year record. Surface air temperatures in the Arctic are increasing at roughly three times the global average rate.”
@ZLabe one of the authors on the sea surface temperature section.
Although this is not as straightforward as the article suggests, it does signal what’s coming in the Arctic.
Bottom line: we keep degrading the planet just to satisfy the ever increasing consumption of mostly things we don't even need.
More than two thirds of the Arctic was warmer than normal in July, but high variability in precipitation. Details in the latest post from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. @Climatologist49
alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.…
alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/a…
Third warmest with precipitation close to averageRick Thoman (Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter)
Have a good weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 12th lowest on record (JAXA data)...
• about 40,000 km² above the 2010s mean
• about 810,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,700,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,410,000 km² below the 1980s mean
More graphics: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-ex…
Near real-time visualizations [Arctic Climate Seasonality and Variability] [Arctic Sea-Ice Extent and Concentration] [Arctic Sea-Ice Volume and Thickness] [Arctic Temperatures] [Antarctic Sea-Ice E…Zack Labe (Zachary Labe)
