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Originally Posted by freebeard
Solar may not be determinative in a particular case. It might affect totals.
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Unexpected Ice
TLDR; rate of increase more important than extent. Effects in Autumn precipitated by winds in Spring. |
'Extent' is a weasel-word.Its use is considered improper by glacialologists.What is of concern to climatologists is ice 'volume,' not extent.And it is ice 'volume' that is in decline,regardless of 'extent' which could be paper-thin,and of no consequence.
Also,albedo is of great concern.Long ago and far away we had powder snow covering the ice,which had the best surface-reflective index known.We don't have that like in the past.Ice is much darker than snow,and it leads to accelerated melting.Melt-water is worse than ice.And open ocean water even worse,except for exposed land.
Any accumulation inland must be balanced by loss at lower,warmer elevations along the continental perimeter and sea ice.Also,foehn winds are blowing snow off Antarctica before it has any chance to accumulate.
Ice is being lost from below.It's like Swiss Cheese.There are unexposed fissures/crevasses just below the surface.Water temps below the ice are above freezing.Ice shelves are losing icebergs as large as states.