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Sea ice off the coast of Antarctica and in the Arctic is at a record low for this time of year: the length of the ice sheet as at 4 December was lower than the average level of 1981-2010 gg 3.84 million km2, which is comparable to India area or two Alaska. Climatologists believe that the reason lies in the increase in global temperatures.

In recent years, contrary to the trend of global warming and the steady retreat of ice in the northern hemisphere, the ice that floated in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, only increased. But now the ice area shrinking in both hemispheres that unreasonably disturbs scientists: the accumulation of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, a natural phenomenon El Niño, which this year has shaken the usual temperature range of the Pacific Ocean and the whims of nature clearly contributed to the current situation.

According to scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, due to record high temperatures and global warming of ocean waters decreased level of Arctic sea ice in November. The same situation is observed in the southern hemisphere, where the level of sea ice fell to a record low this month.

The area of Arctic sea ice in the middle of November was 9.08 million km2, which is 1.95 million km2 below the monthly average recorded between 1981 and 2010. And although at the beginning of the month rate of increase in Arctic ice were a bit higher than the average, the total length is actually reduced for a short period in mid-November. Changing the length of 50 km2 is observed mainly in the Barents Sea near the Arctic Ocean north of Norway and Finland, as well as in the eastern part of Russia.

Scientists said that this reduction in length - almost unprecedented phenomenon of November. Less clear and brief deviation from the norm could be observed in 2013, when the melting of Arctic ice has gone beyond the norm and amounted to 14 thousand km2.

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The graph blue highlighted the daily change of the level of Arctic sea ice on December 5, 2016, inclusive. In addition, in the previous figures are indicated 4 as follows: they are represented in the graph lines of green, orange, brown, and purple. Line dark gray indicate the average figures for the 1981-2010 biennium. Light gray area - the tolerance.

In November 2016 it recorded record low in 38 years of satellite monitoring. This indicator dropped by 3.2 points lower than the level of tolerance. Going outside was even more than in September 2012, when the minimum amount of Arctic ice reached a record low.

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This map shows the temperature difference between the temperature of the November 2016 by the Arctic average. At the level of 925 hPa temperature in the atmosphere was higher than the average 1981-2010 years around the Arctic Ocean.

Scientists said that the high temperatures over the Arctic Ocean, persistent winds from the south and the warm waters of the ocean together led to a reduction in the extent of Arctic ice. Stretching from the northeast Greenland to Schpitsbergenu and Severnaya Zemlya, the air temperature at 925 hPa level was up to 10 ° C higher than the ave