Arctic sea ice variability and trends, 1979–2006

Analysis of Arctic sea ice extents derived from satellite passive‐microwave data for the 28 years 1979–2006 yields an overall negative trend of −45,100 ± 4,600 km 2 /a (−3.7 ± 0.4%/decade) in the yearly averages, with negative ice extent trends also occurring for each of the four seasons and each of the 12 months. For the yearly averages, the largest decreases occur in the Kara and Barents seas and the Arctic Ocean, with linear least squares...