In other news from the High North, it now seems exceedingly unlikely that JAXA extent will achieve a record low maximum this year.
The metric is currently 4th lowest for the date (in the satellite era) at 13.68 million km², marginally below last year’s maximum of 13.78 million km².
2/2
Here is our mid February update on Arctic sea ice thickness and volume, based on the Alfred Wegener Institute’s merged CryoSat-2/Sentinel 3/SMOS gridded sea ice thickness data:
greatwhitecon.info/2026/02/fact...
1/
🍿🐻❄️🍿🦭🍿🐧🍿
In related news:
greatwhitecon.info/2026/01/the-...
"On December 17th 2025 Russ Vought, Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget, announced on X that The National Science Foundation will be breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado."
"Thousands of federal data sets have vanished without warning, including many key to climate research. One day last May, @noaa.gov announced that the Sea Ice Index, a nearly half-century-long archive kept by one of its centers, would no longer be maintained or updated." 👇
#SeaIce
I occasionally attempt to correct the all too frequent "skeptical" Arctic ballcocks promulgated over there.
Am I wasting my time?
“A complete total assault on all our environmental progress.”
At the Munich Security Conference, California Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov did not hold back when speaking to #WeDontHaveTime about Donald Trump’s latest attack on science.
Share this interview if you agree.
ERA5 data for January 2026 has still not made it over to @noaa.gov's "Web-based Reanalyses Intercomparison Tools".
Rather belatedly here is our @nsidc.bsky.social #Arctic sea ice news replacement service, reverting to the NCEP/NCAR R1 reanalysis:
greatwhitecon.info/2026/02/fact...
Thanks Jake.
"Returning the Rule of Law to EPA Regulations.
Creating Policy Rooted in Reality!
Restoring the American Dream!!
Prioritizing Consumer Choice!!!"
"Major Supreme Court decisions in the intervening years... have significantly clarified the scope of EPA’s authority under the CAA"
1/
"not by administrative agencies, and that agencies cannot bury their heads in the sand as to the consequences of their actions when considering regulations that impose immense costs."
Irony is not dead?
Yet.
3/3
"and made clear that the interpretive moves the Endangerment Finding used to launch an unprecedented course of regulation were unlawful. The decisions emphasized that statutes have a single, best meaning fixed at the time of enactment; that major policy determinations must be made by Congress.."
2/
Thanks Jake.
"Returning the Rule of Law to EPA Regulations.
Creating Policy Rooted in Reality!
Restoring the American Dream!!
Prioritizing Consumer Choice!!!"
"Major Supreme Court decisions in the intervening years... have significantly clarified the scope of EPA’s authority under the CAA"
1/
No doubt you're aware of this:
greatwhitecon.info/2026/01/the-...
"The FJC omitted Reference Guide on Climate Science on 2/6/2026"
How do you (plural) untip the scales of what passes for "justice" on your side of the pond?
Who is suing to protect the Endangerment Finding?
Cause I've still got 2026 money to donate.
📣 New research by Rachel Tilling examines how different satellites track Arctic sea ice 'leads' and 'floes'. This is crucial for understanding how sea ice is changing seasonally and over the longer-term.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
A map of Arctic sea ice thickness on January 31st 2026, based on the PIOMAS model developed by the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington.
A map of Arctic sea ice thickness on January 31st 2026. It's based on merged CryoSat-2, Sentinel 3 and SMOS satellite data from the Alfred Wegener Institute.
A graph of Arctic sea ice volume on January 31st 2026, including data going back to 2010. It's based on the PIOMAS model developed by the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington.
A graph of Arctic sea ice volume on January 31st 2026, including data going back to 2010. It's based on merged CryoSat-2, Sentinel 3 and SMOS satellite data from the Alfred Wegener Institute.
Two different varieties of Arctic sea ice thickness, and hence volume, at the end of January 2026.
Compare and contrast the PIOMAS "model" versus satellite "measurements":
greatwhitecon.info/2026/02/fact...
Here's the latest instalment in the #Climategate3 scandal 👇
www.edf.org/media/newly-...
"The records reveal brazenly unlawful actions behind the creation of a report that underlies the administration’s attack on the Endangerment Finding – including evidence of at least 18 meetings held in secret."
Wake the bear
Speaking of NCA6, See also:
bsky.app/profile/jim-...
Speaking of NCA6, See also:
bsky.app/profile/jim-...
A very interesting addendum to my article on the evisceration of NCAR and the (potential!) MAGA flavoured Sixth US National Climate Assessment 👇
greatwhitecon.info/2026/01/the-...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
A pretty unambiguous top line judgement in the UK's "National security assessment on global ecosystems" report, released today:
"Global ecosystem degradation and collapse threaten UK national security and prosperity" Confidence: high.
Time to speed up action, then?
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Can you stream Netflix etc. at your nunatak?
Which movie would get your vote Ruth?
Fairly exciting weather today, hurricane force winds + blizzard. The neighbours* have been on the radio offering an Antarctic film festival this evening if we can get out the door..
* Finland. The Finnish station Aboa is about a hundred metres away on the same nunatak as Wasa
#iQ2300 #Antarctica
"Donald Duck" An AI generated image of The Don floating on a lake in a giant yellow rubber duck, wearing a diaper and waving a toy sword.
The fantasy emperor is sadly lacking in new clothes:
greatwhitecon.info/2025/12/the-...
Image courtesy of ImageFX, not Grok.
Copenhagen town hall square, Denmark right now.
Massive solidarity with Greenland demonstrations.
Source: dr.dk
