I overlayed the IABP buoy 60 day track map on the NSIDC end of September ice map. You can see that the multi-year ice (turquoise and green) is remaining fairly steady. Most of the buoy movement into the Fram Strait has been from regions of predominantly first year ice.

This bodes well for a large increase in spring MYI relative to 2009.

At this time last year, most of the MYI was on the eastern side of the Arctic, where it is likely to be lost during the winter. This year it is mainly on the western side, and is not moving very much.

2009

2010