Satellite observations made from 1979 to 2016 show that the annual
sea ice season in the greater Station Obama area has become 3 - 4 months shorter over the last 38 years.
On 15 September 2008, a request was sent to the contributors of the 2008 Arctic Sea Ice Outlook to summarize the 2008
arctic sea ice season, with a 25 September return date.
In a February report, Dr. Parkinson said, «If trends toward
shortened sea ice seasons and lesser sea ice coverage continue, this could entail major consequences to the polar and perhaps global climate, and to the lifestyles and survivability of selected Arctic plant and animal species.»
A request was sent to the contributors of the 2009 SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook to summarize the 2009
arctic sea ice season.
With 16 responses, the June Outlook reflected a range of thinking about the summer 2010
sea ice season, but not these extremes on each end.