From Science Matters

By Ron Clutz

The graph for the last four weeks shows that 2023 Arctic ice continues to exceed the 17 year average from mid April to mid May. SII (Sea Ice Index) tracked MASIE with higher extents most of this period, while ending nearly the same.  Meanwhile, other years, especially 2010 and 2020 were losing ice much more rapidly than average.  

Why is this important?  All the claims of global climate emergency depend on dangerously higher temperatures, lower sea ice, and rising sea levels.  The lack of additional warming is documented in a post Satellite Temps Hit Bottom: February 2023.

The lack of acceleration in sea levels along coastlines has been discussed also.  See USCS Warnings of Coastal Floodings

Also, a longer term perspective is informative:

The table below shows the distribution of Sea Ice across the Arctic Regions, on average, this year and 2010.

Region	2023166	Day 166 Average	2023-Ave.	2010166	2023-2010
(0) Northern_Hemisphere	11010785	10850760	160025	10534077	476708
(1) Beaufort_Sea	1004738	970162	34577	933194	71545
(2) Chukchi_Sea	866965	797144	69820	839873	27092
(3) East_Siberian_Sea	1045863	1050728	-4865	1068901	-23038
(4) Laptev_Sea	806824	768140	38684	772185	34639
(5) Kara_Sea	638316	715045	-76730	717539	-79224
(6) Barents_Sea	114873	199057	-84184	138264	-23391
(7) Greenland_Sea	811202	565292	245910	524612	286589
(8) Baffin_Bay_Gulf_of_St._Lawrence	849180	711581	137599	667457	181723
(9) Canadian_Archipelago	792429	798400	-5971	766642	25787
(10) Hudson_Bay	802506	984719	-182214	826781	-24275
(11) Central_Arctic	3239185	3220413	18772	3206453	32732
(12) Bering_Sea	9490	35600	-26110	21317	-11827
(13) Baltic_Sea	0	243	-243	0	0
(14) Sea_of_Okhotsk	28074	95869	-67795	49697	-21623

Overall, the extent is above average by 160k km2, or 1.5%.  The main deficits are in Barents, Kara, Hudson Bay and Okhotsk, more than offset by surpluses especially in Baffin Bay, Greenland and Chukchi seas. Note that Arctic extent will now go below 11 Wadhams heading toward its August minimum.  2010 was nearly 1/2 Wadham below average on day 166.