A scoop to be kept out of daylight

The arctic sea ice extent was 10.422 million square kilometers in November 23rd, 2018. This information probably does not open to my reader, and therefore I decided to present the following table. There I have collected the extents of the arctic ice in November 23rds during the last ten years. 

2018 10.422 million km²

2017  9.826  million km²

2016  8.845  million km²

2015 10.021 million km²

2014 10.396 million km²

2013 10.314 million km²

2012  9.950 million km²

2011 10.207 million km²

2010   9.923 million km²

2009 10.247 million km²

The important point - which might even be considered a scoop in the light of recent media information about the climatic change - is that six days ago the extent of the arctic ice was the largest (of date) during the last ten years (right now it is the second largest after year 2014). 

The table above tells us - at least - that the melting rate of the arctic ice is not especially rapid. It should, however, be noted that the extent was biggest in early dates of the statistics: 11.897 million km² in both years 1983 and 1992, and the extent was 10,700 million km² in year 2008 when it was for the last time larger than this year.

It remains to be seen if Jari Haapala, Research Professor of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, was right couple of years ago, when he predicted that it will take only few years before we can sail to arctic pole through an open sea and that the arctic sea ice will completely melt away during the 2030´s or 2040´s. That is, during the next 12 or 22 years.

Therefore it is also good to take a look on the extent of the arctic sea ice, when it was smallest in this year: 4.594 million km². Also this figure needs a comparison table, before it can be interpreted.

2018 4.594 million km²

2017 4.665 million km²

2016 4.165 million km²

2015 4.433 million km²

2014 5.029 million km²

2013 5.054 million km²

2012 3.387 million km²

2011 4.344 million km²

2010 4.615 million km²

2009 5.119 million km²

As can be seen from the table, this year is in position six in this statistics. The extent of the arctic sea ice was smallest in year 2012 and largest in the first year of the table. Therefore we can conclude that Research Professor Haapala´s view about the ongoing rapid melting of the arctic sea ice is not supported by this table. Or more exactly: this table does not show any trend. 

Despite the two tables above, I have no idea whether the arctic sea ice is melting or not in a long run. And certainly I do not want to guess whether we are in the middle of climate warming caused by human actions. 

Instead, I am willing to bring this piece of information about the extend of the arctic sea ice to public discussion, because I suspect that it will not be reported by main media and will therefore not reach the ordinary people in Finland and elsewhere.

I wrote this article in Finnish six days ago, but there has been no news about the extent of the arctic sea ice. The reasons may be imagined, but I am not willing to open my own thoughts. Instead, I want to point out that the instructions of Finnish journalists say the following. "A journalist has a responsibility towards her readers, listeners and watchers: they do have a right to know, what is happening in the society."

The original thought in Finnish:
Skuuppi, joka jäänee mediapimentoon