Alastair wrote:

On Thursday, 15 December 2016 09:48:03 UTC, Norman Lynagh wrote:
We've seen this one before but it's worth another look because it shows so
clearly the reason for the sea ice decline. This version has a slightly
better commentary. Best viewed full screen.

https://twitter.com/NOAAClimate/stat...80990559850497

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
http://peakdistrictweather.org
@TideswellWeathr

Norman,
Do you mean that the sea ice decline is caused by the thick sea ice adjacent
the Canadian archipelago being drawn into the Beaufort Gyre, and into the
Transpolar current which takes it out of the Arctic via the Fram Strait.
http://www.windows2universe.org/eart..._currents.html

But why is that happening now?

To my eye, the video shows very clearly what has been happening since 1990. The
commentary with the video explains the process very clearly. It's not just
happening 'now'. The video shows that it is a contious process that has been
on-going since at least 1990. It undoubtedly started much earlier than that,
albeit at a much slower rate initially.

It looks to me as though the Arctic could be largely ice-free in summer within
not very many years from now.The multi-year ice is escaping through the Fram
Strait at a much faster rate than it is being generated in the Beaufort Sea.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
http://peakdistrictweather.org
@TideswellWeathr