Charles H. Greene, professor of Earth and Atmospheric sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Science at Cornell University and a fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, says that while cooler summers during the past two years have resulted in reduced sea ice melting in the Arctic, the volumes of sea ice are still among the lowest in the historical record and are likely linked to extreme winter weather in the mid-latitudes.
Greene is the author of the Scientific American article “The Winters of Our Discontent: Loss of Arctic sea ice is stacking the deck in favor of harsh winters in the U.S. and Europe.”
Greene says:
“Compared to the recent trend, two cooler summers have resulted in a more modest amount of sea ice melting in the Arctic. Nevertheless, the volumes of sea ice observed during the autumn of the past two years are still among the lowest in the historical record.
“A number of climate scientists believe that the Arctic climate system has already passed a tipping point and is unlikely to see a return of sea ice to the volumes observed prior to 2005. There is ever-increasing evidence that these changes in the Arctic climate system are remotely forcing mid-latitude weather patterns and the dynamics of marine ecosystems thousands of kilometers away.
“From the persistent drought in California to Superstorm Sandy and the harsh winter weather patterns observed in the eastern U.S. during recent years, the evidence is strengthening that what happens in the Arctic no longer stays in the Arctic. We would be wise to continue monitoring sea ice conditions there very carefully.”
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