AWP anomaly - Pan-Arctic

The data is updated daily between the 20th March and the 22th September.

The zero line represents the 2007-2016 average.

NRT Data Download

Final Data Download

The regional breakdown only shows which regions have a strong or weak melting season. Individual regions shouldn't be compared against each other, because of their different latitude. The Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea and Hudson Bay are located mostly outside the Arctic circle and can accumulate significant warming much earlier than other regions. They also don't influence the sea ice minimum in September directly. Currently the most significant regions affecting the minimum are Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Eastern Siberian Sea and the Central Arctic. The Laptev-, Kara- and Barents Sea affect the minimum as well, but to a lesser extent.

Regional breakdown of previous years can be found here

Unit overview (MJ/m2)

One extra day of peak insulation on open ocean is about 20 MJ/m2.

One extra month of peak insulation on open ocean is about 600 MJ/m2.

20 MJ can melt 60 kg of ice or 66 mm of ice per sq meter (see more)

If the solar energy gets absorbed by open ocean instead of melt ponds or gaps within the ice pack, the absorbed energy increases the water temperature and this energy needs to be released in autumn before the ocean can refreeze.