The Arctic Basin is an open basin, and all of the ice eventually floats out into the North Atlantic and melts – mostly during the winter when the winds are stronger. During times when the ice is thicker (say 1980) it moves more slowly and the average age is older.

During the winters from 1988-1996 the winds were very strong, and lots of ice floated out into the North Atlantic and melted. Now there is a lot less thick ice than there was in 1979.

Anyone who claims to know what the ice is going to do in the future probably needs to have their Ouija board checked. Cough cough …… Serreze … cough cough