8/18 Arctic Sea Ice Update - (Very) High Latitude Ice Edge Retreat Goes On

[hatrack]

Davis Strait - W. Coast of Greenland (Approx. 60-70 N.) Wide Open:



Baffin Bay - the next stop to the North - pretty much wide open. Kane Basin at 80N is breaking up rapidly and the Kennedy Channel, which opens directly onto the Arctic Ocean, looks to be about 50 - 70% clear:



The next two maps are of the east coast of Greenland, where the bulk of rapid ice-sheet melt is taking place. Not much to hold the melt back here:



Marginally more sea ice in place here (that irregular lump to the lower right is the northern half of Iceland):



Svalbard is sea-ice free for going on a month now:



And Franz Josef land is getting there - it looks like two, maybe three islands in the entire archipelago have contact with 9/10th ice:



Three weeks to go.