Antarctic sea ice levels hit record low, but experts are not sure why

Sea ice levels in Antarctica dropped to a record low this year, but experts say there is not a clear link to climate change.

More than 60 meteorologists and scientists from around the world are holding a week-long meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, to better understand sea ice changes on the frozen continent.

Dr Jan Lieser from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre said sea ice levels had experienced a “massive increase” in variability over the past few years.

Sea ice coverage fell to 2.075m sq km in March, the lowest since satellite observations began in 1979. But just three years earlier it hit a record high of more than 20m sq km.
...

www.theguardian.com...

So, more evidence is coming up that "Climate Change/AGW" is not to be blamed for Antarctic sea ice reaching low levels. One of the possible causes for this low sea ice levels is an increase in geothermal activity which would be melting sea ice and glaciers from below.

So, are the changes the Earth is undergoing "settled science?... Or do we still have questions about what is happening to the Earth?...

originally posted by: ElectricUniverse

Sea ice levels in Antarctica dropped to a record low this year, but experts say there is not a clear link to climate change.

More than 60 meteorologists and scientists from around the world are holding a week-long meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, to better understand sea ice changes on the frozen continent.

Dr Jan Lieser from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre said sea ice levels had experienced a “massive increase” in variability over the past few years.

Sea ice coverage fell to 2.075m sq km in March, the lowest since satellite observations began in 1979. But just three years earlier it hit a record high of more than 20m sq km.
...

www.theguardian.com...

So, more evidence is coming up that "Climate Change/AGW" is not to be blamed for Antarctic sea ice reaching low levels. One of the possible causes for this low sea ice levels is an increase in geothermal activity which would be melting sea ice and glaciers from below.

So, are the changes the Earth is undergoing "settled science?... Or do we still have questions about what is happening to the Earth?...

Increased geothermal activity heating the oceans could account for the unusually strong hurricane activity. Very interesting thread. Thank you.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Oct of 2014

Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches New Record Maximum

www.nasa.gov...


Perhaps in a natural cycle?

a reply to: MissSmartypants

Sure, no problem. in another thread I pointed how scientists had discovered that Earth's molten iron jet in the northern hemisphere had trebbled in speed. Yeah I know Antarctica is in the southern hemisphere.

Molten iron river discovered speeding beneath Russia and Canada

Also there is this.

Image of The Week – Plumes of water melting Greenland’s tidewater glaciers

Sudden geothermal activity draws researchers to site in central Mexico

Decades after catastrophic 1980 eruption, Mount St. Helens is 'recharging'

All of these events, the increase in seismic activity, the increase volcanic activity, etc, are pointing to the fact that Earth's interior is changing dramatically. Although the southern hemisphere molten jet is speeding slower than the northern molten yet, the increase in speed of the molten yet in the northern hemisphere and what we are seeing occurring now should also tell us the southern hemisphere is also speeding up, even though it is slower than the northern hemisphere molten jet current.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

All of these events, the increase in seismic activity, the increase volcanic activity, etc,

No evidence of any increase in either.


Regarding Antarctic sea ice:

“A rare combination of a remote influence from the tropical Pacific and an unusual position of the jet stream in the southern hemisphere conspired to cause this event,” University of Washington’s Malte Stuecker said.

source

Let's not forget these.

Scientists discover 91 volcanoes below Antarctic ice sheet

Number of Earthquakes in Central Italy Since Large August 24th 2016 Earthquake has exceeded 48,200

Scientists locate potential magma source in Italian supervolcano

Unusual Chile volcano activity sparks interest, worries

As for the claim from a "certain person" that there is no such increase activity...

The 2010–2014.3 global earthquake rate increase
Tom Parsons 1 and Eric L. Geist 1

1 U. S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA
...
1. Introduction

Obvious increases in the global rate of large (M ≥ 7.0) earthquakes happened after 1992, 2010, and especially during the first quarter of 2014 (Table 1 and Figure 1). Given these high rates, along with suggestions that damaging earthquakes may be causatively linked at global distance [e.g., Gomberg and Bodin, 1994; Pollitz et al., 1998; Tzanis and Makropoulos, 2002; Bufe and Perkins, 2005; Gonzalez-Huizar et al., 2012; Pollitz et al., 2012, 2014], we investigate whether there is a significant departure from a random process underlying these rate changes. Recent studies have demonstrated that M ≥ 7.0 earthquakes (and also tsunamis) that occurred since 1900 follow a Poisson process [e.g., Michael, 2011; Geist and Parsons, 2011; Daub et al., 2012; Shearer and Stark, 2012; Parsons and Geist, 2012; Ben-Naim et al., 2013]. Here we focus on the period since 2010, which has M ≥ 7.0 rates increased by 65% and M ≥ 5.0 rates up 32% compared with the 1979 – present average. The first quarter of 2014 experienced more than double the average M ≥ 7.0 rate, enough to intrigue the news media [e.g., www.nbcnews.com...]. We extend our analysis to M ≥ 5.0 levels, as many of these lower magnitude events convey significant hazard, and global catalogs have not generally been tested down to these thresholds.

2. Methods and Data

We work with the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) catalog of M≥ 5.0 global earthquakes for the period between 1979 and 2014.3 with a primary focus on the recent interval between 2010 and 2014.3 that shows the highest earthquake rates (Table 1 and Figure 1). A variety of tests suggest that the catalog is complete down to magnitudes between M=4.6 and M=5.2, depending on the method used to assess it (see supporting information). We examine a range of lower magnitude thresholds above M =5.0 to account for this uncertainty.
...

profile.usgs.gov...

The two USGS seismologists who posted their findings are Tom Parsons and Eric L. Geist.

Underwater volcanoes, not climate change, reason behind melting of West Antarctic Ice Sheet

There are an estimated 3 million underwater volcanos, and most of them are bigger than the majority of the land volcanos.

a reply to: Phage

Geez... logic and facts! Ho-hum.
I prefer mysteriously warming planets ... so do the oil companies.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

As for the claim from a "certain person" that there is no such increase activity...

Yeah. We've been a through that. About how that data was cherry picked. About the limits of the ANSS catalog. Remember?
www.abovetopsecret.com...

There are an estimated 3 million underwater volcanos, and most of them are bigger than the majority of the land volcanos.

Ok. How many are active? What evidence is there that there is more activity now than there was 100 years ago?

a reply to: Phage

No, the only thing you have done, like you always do, is to make claims which are actually not true. You claimed those two U.S.G.S. geologists were talking about "4 years of data", when their findings state an increase in global earthquakes in stages which include increases in 1992, 2010, 2014, and their data includes earthquake activity since 1979.

Obvious increases in the global rate of large (M ≥ 7.0) earthquakes happened after 1992, 2010, and especially during the first quarter of 2014 (Table 1 and Figure 1).
...
Here we focus on the period since 2010, which has M ≥ 7.0 rates increased by 65% and M ≥ 5.0 rates up 32% compared with the 1979 – present average. The first quarter of 2014 experienced more than double the average M ≥ 7.0 rate, enough to intrigue the news media
...

profile.usgs.gov...

Keep reading:

A strong increase in the number of global earthquakes is noted since 2010 that appears to have accelerated during the first quarter of 2014. However, there is no evidence that this increase represents a departure from temporally independent earthquake occurrence, as many of these earthquakes are local aftershocks of prior events.

The study is about the possibility that strong earthquakes trigger other strong earthquakes. They used a limited dataset, the ANSS catalog, and looked at specific time periods. Here is what a complete dataset looks like.

Let's not forget contrary to what Phage has been preaching in the forums...

June 2, 2014. 7:42 P M

No, it's not your imagination: The Los Angeles area is feeling more earthquakes this year.

After a relatively quiet period of seismic activity in the Los Angeles area, the last five months have been marked by five earthquakes larger than 4.0. That hasn't occurred since 1994, the year of the destructive Northridge earthquake that produced 53 such temblors.
...

www.latimes.com...

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – If it seems like earthquakes and erupting volcanoes are happening more frequently, that’s because they are. Looking at global magnitude six (M6) or greater from 1980 to 1989 there was an average of 108.5 earthquakes per year, from 2000 to 2009 the planet averaged 160.9 earthquakes per year: that is a 38.9% increase of M6+ earthquakes in recent years.
...

thecostaricanews.com...

Heck, even under the Obama administration David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, posted the following information.

Is the Recent Increase in Felt Earthquakes in the Central US Natural or Manmade?

By David J. Hayes

By David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior

Last week, following the publication of an abstract intended to preview an upcoming talk by a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist, a number of news articles started popping up about new scientific evidence of a link between unconventional oil and gas production here in the United States, and seismic activity (earthquakes).

Unfortunately – although not surprisingly given the limited information available in the abstract – the accuracy of these media reports varied greatly. With this blog post, I want to clarify a few points about USGS's important and ongoing work to study induced seismicity.
...
Background

As part of its ongoing effort to study a variety of potential impacts of U.S. energy production, USGS scientists have been investigating the recent increase in the number of magnitude 3 and greater earthquakes in the midcontinent of the United States. Beginning in 2001, the average number of earthquakes occurring per year of magnitude 3 or greater increased significantly, culminating in a six-fold increase in 2011 over 20th century levels.

These earthquakes are fairly small – large enough to have been felt by many people, yet small enough to rarely have caused damage.

An increase in earthquakes such as this prompts an important question: are they natural, or man-made? To address this question, a team of USGS scientists led by Bill Ellsworth of the Earthquake Science Center analyzed changes in the rate of earthquake occurrence in the midcontinent using large USGS databases of earthquakes recorded since 1970.
...
Preliminary Findings

USGS's studies do not suggest that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” causes the increased rate of earthquakes. USGS's scientists have found, however, that at some locations the increase in seismicity coincides with the injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells.
...

www.doi.gov...

a reply to: ElectricUniverse
So, how'd that LA flurry work out? Still going on? Getting worse?

rom 1980 to 1989 there was an average of 108.5 earthquakes per year, from 2000 to 2009 the planet averaged 160.9 earthquakes per year:

What happened before 1980? And what about 1990 to 2000?


Heh.
So manmade earthquakes are causing global warming? Yes, I know fracking doesn't cause earthquakes. Everybody knows that.
Fluid Injection

a reply to: Phage

Obviously, Phage can't read...

...
Preliminary Findings

USGS's studies do not suggest that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” causes the increased rate of earthquakes. USGS's scientists have found, however, that at some locations the increase in seismicity coincides with the injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells.
...

www.doi.gov...

a reply to: ElectricUniverse
Yes. Fluid injection is known to cause earthquakes.

What's your point? Does it also heat up the ocean?

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: ElectricUniverse
Yes. Fluid injection is known to cause earthquakes.

What's your point? Does it also heat up the ocean?

Naa, not in your life would you catch me claiming that... After all, it is you, alongside some others, who claim mankind is responsible for Climate Change, and everything else...

However, it all seems to be tied since other planets in the Solar System have also been underoging such changes, yet you have been one of the people claiming "there is no link".

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

However, it all seems to be tied since other planets in the Solar System have also been under such changes, yet you have been one of the people claiming "there is no link".

Other planets have increased volcanic and earthquake activity? Tell me more.

a reply to: MissSmartypants

Nope.

A weak La Niña and possibly a more active sun(my speculation based on an active sun during the 2005 record setting Atlantic hurricane season) is more reasonable.

It will be interesting to see how much more Antarctic ice melts in the summer months ahead.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: ElectricUniverse

However, it all seems to be tied since other planets in the Solar System have also been under such changes, yet you have been one of the people claiming "there is no link".

Other planets have increased volcanic and earthquake activity? Tell me more.

Ohh, poor Phage...He/she is hurt that he/she hasn't been right... Sniff, sniff, actually makes me want to cry... His/her feelings are hurt...

Did i write "Mars' earthquakes have increased"... or did i give an argument more like "other planets in solar system have been undergoing similar changes seen on Earth"?...

We won't be able to monitor seismic activity on Mars until 2018, when NASA is going to launch the InSight probe...

Anyways, I was referring to this, which Phage has seen many times in the past.

Pluto is alive—but where is the heat coming from?

And as i stated in the above thread:

Even back in 2002 we knew Pluto's atmospheric pressure had triple as it was warming the more it moved away from the sun, and this had been happening for 14 years. So Pluto, and maybe even Charon have been warming since 1988, and to this day they are still warming inexplicably.

Pluto and it's moon are too small to be able to produce and maintain this heat internally. Perhaps it is time to look for an outside cause to this warming which seems to be happening in several planets in the solar system, including on Earth.

Scientists find evidence of global warming on Mars

The article above is from May 2016. Mars has also been warming since at least 2001.

Climate Change on Jupiter.
Is shrinking superstorm evidence of climate change on Jupiter?

Climate change on Saturn.

The sudden warming of Saturn at least since 2004 which NASA could not truly explain.

The inexplicable enormous storms that appeared on a normally free storm Saturn but have appeared earlier than ever before.

And now.

Hexagon on Saturn: Nasa scientists ponder colour-changing north pole

Saturn's moon Titan also undergoing warming.
Is Titan Earth's evil twin? Saturn's moon has giant dunes made of METHANE that hint at dramatic global warming

The unexpected warm temperatures of Saturn's moon Enceladus.

It is true that the composition of the atmospheres of all solar system planets are different. But isn't it too much of a coincidence that all these changes are occurring at the same time Earth is undergoing similar changes?

Careful you don't get jailed for that climate denial. They take their religion very seriously.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Your gishgalloping really is tiresome.
For example, this:
The sudden warming of Saturn at least since 2004 which NASA could not truly explain.
Says nothing about any sudden or recent warming.

Nor does this article say anything at all about recent warming
Is Titan Earth's evil twin? Saturn's moon has giant dunes made of METHANE that hint at dramatic global warming