FactFinder
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On March 7, 2011, Arctic sea ice likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.64 million square kilometers (5.65 million square miles). The maximum extent was 1.2 million square kilometers (463,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average of 15.86 million square kilometers (6.12 million square miles), and equal (within 0.1%) to 2006 for the lowest maximum extent in the satellite record.
Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis
You forgot this part...
As of March 22, ice extent has declined for five straight days. However there is still a chance that the ice extent could expand again. Sea ice extent in February and March tends to be quite variable, because ice near the edge is thin and often quite dispersed. The thin ice is highly sensitive to weather, moving or melting quickly in response to changing winds and temperatures, and it often oscillates near the maximum extent for several days or weeks, as it has done this year.
Since the start of the satellite record in 1979, the maximum Arctic sea ice extent has occurred as early as February 18 and as late as March 31, with an average date of March 6.
OK. So we will see what the max ice extant was for this year in a very short while. Looks like it will be far below the norm, once again.
Methinks you repeatedly leave out the part that humankind just don't know. That we are basically ignorant and nowhere near as smart as we often pretend to be. Another take. Perhaps all that ocsillation left the Arctic not knowing whether it was coming or going this year.
Blame the Arctic Oscillation!