{"id":315,"date":"2023-03-15T06:06:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T06:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/2023\/03\/15\/facts-about-the-arctic-in-march-2023\/"},"modified":"2023-04-15T17:43:38","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T17:43:38","slug":"facts-about-the-arctic-in-march-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/2023\/03\/15\/facts-about-the-arctic-in-march-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Facts About the Arctic in March 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>We\u2019ll come on to the Arctic in a moment, but at more temperate latitudes I am proud to announce that my Cornish alter ego has been officially outed as an \u201cenvironmental campaigner\u201d by the BBC. Moving pictures of yours truly, discussing drought rather than sea ice, are available <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/episode\/m001jxh5\/spotlight-evening-news-07032023\" target=\"_blank\">via BBC iPlayer<\/a> until around 18:30 this evening, possibly to UK residents only.<\/p>\n<p>[Stop Press! A shorter version of Kirk England\u2019s report on two potential desalination plants in Cornwall (also including my 15 seconds of fame!) is available <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/episode\/m001jxh7\/spotlight-late-news-07032023\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> until around 22:30 this evening ]<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively we have recorded our own moving pictures of this momentous event:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Yesterday we had a good look around <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Colliford?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Colliford<\/a> Lake, by far the largest reservoir in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Cornwall?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Cornwall<\/a>. Following last year&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/drought?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#drought<\/a> it is currently still less than half full:<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pk71eN3NQJ\">https:\/\/t.co\/pk71eN3NQJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Our intro includes <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kasiaturajczyk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@kasiaturajczyk<\/a> exploring the &#8220;beach&#8221;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Drought2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Drought2023<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Kernow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Kernow<\/a>? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3t3lFd6esD\">pic.twitter.com\/3t3lFd6esD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Davidstow Info \u3013\u3013 (@DavidstowInfo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DavidstowInfo\/status\/1632997964665765891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 7, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>And an added still image as well:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606-1024x559-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606-1024x559-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606-1536x839.png 1536w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Crop_1606.png 1767w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p><span id=\"more-22410\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"Maxa\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Heading back to the far north, it is entirely feasible that the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/2023\/03\/the-2023-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extent\/\" target=\"_blank\">maximum Arctic sea ice extent<\/a> of the 2023 freezing season has been reached, according to JAXA\/ViSHOP at least:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JAXA-Extent-20230307.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JAXA-Extent-20230307-1024x512-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JAXA-Extent-20230307-1024x512-2.png 1024w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JAXA-Extent-20230307-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JAXA-Extent-20230307-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JAXA-Extent-20230307.png 1341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>14.12 million km\u00b2 on both the 2nd and 3rd of March.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In other news from within the Arctic Circle, the PIOMAS gridded thickness data for February has now been released. Here\u2019s the modelled thickness map for February 28th:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-thickness_on_2023-02-28.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"880\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-thickness_on_2023-02-28.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-thickness_on_2023-02-28.png 880w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-thickness_on_2023-02-28-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-thickness_on_2023-02-28-768x503.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>It reveals some of the thickest sea ice remaining in the Arctic Ocean taking the Fram Strait exit from the Central Arctic.<\/p>\n<p>Since the \u201cofficial\u201d PIOMAS volume graph doesn\u2019t seem to have been published yet, here too is one calculated from the gridded thickness data up to and including February 28th:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-Volume-2023-02-28.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"888\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-Volume-2023-02-28.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-Volume-2023-02-28.png 888w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-Volume-2023-02-28-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PIOMAS-Volume-2023-02-28-768x554.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 888px) 100vw, 888px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>For comparison purposes here is the CryoSat-2\/SMOS \u201cmeasured\u201d thickness map for the week ending March 6th:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS-thickness_2023-03-06.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"880\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS-thickness_2023-03-06.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS-thickness_2023-03-06.png 880w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS-thickness_2023-03-06-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS-thickness_2023-03-06-768x503.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Although the ice distribution is somewhat different to that of PIOMAS, this also shows an area of thicker ice at the northern entrance to the Fram Strait.<\/p>\n<p>The near real time section of the CS2\/SMOS volume graph suggests a recent slow down in the rate of volume increase:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS_20230306.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"955\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS_20230306.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS_20230306.png 955w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS_20230306-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CS2-SMOS_20230306-768x513.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 955px) 100vw, 955px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Note that the PIOMAS version of the graph doesn\u2019t show the same slow down. Several weeks will need to elapse before we discover if the reanalysed CS2\/SMOS data confirms it.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"Mar-11\"><\/a><strong>[Edit \u2013 March 11th]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSnow White\u201d has called the 2023 maximum extent following NSIDC\u2019s tumble yesterday. With only mild trepidation! More on some other extent metrics over on the <a href=\"https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/2023\/03\/the-2023-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 Maximum Extent<\/a> thread, but here is the current suite of graphs for our favourite \u201chigh resolution\u201d AMSR2 based data from the Alfred Wegener Institute:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Extent-2023-03-10-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"887\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Extent-2023-03-10-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Extent-2023-03-10-1.png 887w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Extent-2023-03-10-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Extent-2023-03-10-768x554.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Area-2023-03-10.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"887\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Area-2023-03-10.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Area-2023-03-10.png 887w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Area-2023-03-10-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Area-2023-03-10-768x554.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Compact-2023-03-10.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"885\" height=\"635\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Compact-2023-03-10.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22457\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Compact-2023-03-10.png 885w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Compact-2023-03-10-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/AWI-Arctic-Compact-2023-03-10-768x551.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 885px) 100vw, 885px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>The&nbsp;latest&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SeppnenJaakko\/status\/1634510903864356865\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thickness anomaly map<\/a>&nbsp;from the Finnish Meteorological Institute still shows plenty of unusually thick ice waiting to be exported from the Central Arctic via the Fram Strait:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/FMI-CS2-Anom-2023-03-09.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/FMI-CS2-Anom-2023-03-09.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/FMI-CS2-Anom-2023-03-09.png 640w, https:\/\/greatwhitecon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/FMI-CS2-Anom-2023-03-09-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Watch this space!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ll come on to the Arctic in a moment, but at more temperate latitudes I am proud to announce that my Cornish alter ego has been officially outed as an \u201cenvironmental campaigner\u201d by the BBC. Moving pictures of yours truly,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-analysis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403,"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}