Global warming? No, actually we're cooling, claim scientists

[stupidicus]

72. the devil is always in the details

the volume would be hard to calculate (but that's why thickness is important) and it's doubtful the coverage numbers are wrong.

It's the "cooling" conclusion that is more than suspect because this one episode simply doesn't support it. This is like saying that since 1999 wasn't as hot as 1998 in terms of land temps, ergo we've entered a time of global cooling. One year does not a trend make.


Figure 3. Monthly August ice extent for 1979 to 2013 shows a decline of 10.6% per decade.

Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center
High-resolution image
The seasonal decline of extent through the month of August was slightly above average at 56,400 square kilometers (21,800 square miles) per day, but more than a third slower than the record decline rate in August 2012. This year’s August extent was the sixth lowest in the 1979 to 2013 satellite record.

August 2013 ice extent was 2.38 million square kilometers (919,000 square miles) above the record low August extent in 2012. The monthly trend is –10.6% per decade relative to the 1981 to 2010 average
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/