Avalanches in the West don't halt skiers' hopes of hitting the slopes

Despite the reports of numerous snow avalanches in the West especially in Wyoming, skiers are still flocking out to ski resorts to hit the slopes on the newly fallen snow. Since Monday, about 5 feet of snow had accumulated at the Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming making it the place with the West's best snow. Heavy snow began falling at the beginning of December and has been accumulating since. Many skiers have already experience dozens of minor avalanche slides in the past few weeks at the ski resorts in the Teton Range. Although no one was hurt by any of these natural hazard events, skiers are putting themselves at an increased risk and making themselves more vulnerable to getting swallowed by one. According to avalanche center forecaster Bob Comey, most avalanches occur during and soon after a storm. These are the effects from a heavy snowfall in the mountains with a steep elevation. Skiers should pay close attention to the forecasts and be aware of the dangers of a possible avalanche event so that they can make good decisions when choosing a slope to ski down on.
http://www.weather.com/news/wyoming-avalanche-threat-20121212

Midwest Snow Storm Won't Help Drought Impacted Wildlife

Despite the larger than expected amount of snow dropped by Winter Storm Ceasar this past weekend in Midwestern states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, the much needed precipitation arrived too late to help wildlife hurt by this year's devastating drought. The image above shows a beaver lodge near Detroit Lakes, MN, which was found vacant by DNR wildlife supervisor Blane Kelmek. Kelmek noted that the family of beavers had most likely moved to a larger lake making them vulnerable to predators. The drought has not only impacted the food sources for beavers in the region but also for black bears and many other animals. The extended dry period is part of long-term climate changes that the DNR believes is the reason wildlife is responding by migrating to other locations. The DNR hopes to create a plan on how to deal with the effects of climate change on natural resources. Although animals in parts of the Midwest are not in as good of condition as they normally are the drought is also having an impact on the human population. Farmers have also taken a huge hit from the drought with poor crop yields leading up to bailouts from insurance companies and an increase in food prices at the stores. Droughts have long term effects for all kinds of life and can change the way humans and other species go about their lives.   
http://www.weather.com/news/snow-wont-help-animals-hurt-by-drought-20121212

Anchorage shakes from strong earthquake

The largest city of Alaska, Anchorage experienced a strong earthquake on Monday, which was centered 30 miles northwest from the city limits. Although experts said the quake was not expected to create a tsunami, the shaking could be felt 175 miles across the state. The quake of a magnitude 5.8 caused very little damage to buildings and there were no reports of any structural collapses. The region is seismically active and experiences frequent earthquakes. Most residents are accustomed to these small shakes, but most occur in remote areas and go commonly unnoticed. Buildings are also built to earthquake standards to limit the amount of damage and mitigate the devastating impacts of an earthquake event. However, if this happened in an are that is not used to earthquakes of this magnitude (i.e. The East Coast) this would be a bigger deal and would gain more media attention.
http://www.weather.com/news/alaska-quake-20121204

Powerful Typhoon batters Philippines

One of the strongest typhoons for 2012 has hit the Philippines on Tuesday claiming approximately 40 lives. Another 50,000 people were also forced to leave their homes from flood waters submerging their villages. The Davao region of the country took the greatest hit with winds of 160 mph and gusts up to 195 mph being recorded. This along with flash floods is causing a lot of fallen down trees and landslides all over the region. Winds are also ripping the roofs from homes and flooding low elevation farmlands. Residents should flee to safety from their homes and take storm warnings seriously as this is the 16 weather disturbance that has hit the country this year. The Philippines are accustomed to seeing about 20 typhoons per year, however the southern provinces do not usually see typhoons of this caliber compared to the north. The country is considered to be low developed and although they are used to seeing typhoons, the impacts of one is still devastating to the population.
http://www.weather.com/news/typhoon-bopha-20121203

Forecasters are predicting heavy rains to hit portions of northern California by the middle of the week and last through the week. They are calling this an "atmospheric river," which is a long, narrow plume that brings deep moisture from the tropics to the mid-latitudes. Meteorologists predicts areas along the coast to receive as much as 10 inches of rain from this system and create erosion problems for cities that lie below the coastal range. The pacific northwest, which includes eastern Oregon and Washington, are used to getting this amount of rain, but forecasters fear this system may be sticking around for a couple of days. This could lead to flash floods in northern California and cause debris flows in recently burned areas. Residents residing in these areas should take precaution of the flood watch to ensure their safety.
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-forecast/california-flood-threat-20121126

Flash floods submerge UK town underwater

Flash floods hit the community of Ruthin, Wales hard yesterday as it took an hour to turn an entire neighborhood into a muddy lake. The Glasdir housing estate, which is still being developed took the biggest hit after river levels of the Clwyd rose to dangerously high levels. The 300 residents living in the neighborhood fear that they will not get their insurance because they are located on a flood plain and the insurance companies might not pay out. Also making matters worse is that there is a high tide tonight and might increase the water levels. No one has seen a flood hit the city this bad in decades and surpasses the mighty flood of 2000 when water filled a few streets. Thankfully, a postman saw the dangerously high water levels in the river and alerted residents to evacuate before the flash flood hit. Although not everyone was able to leave in time, rescue crews are on the scene rescuing stranded residents by boat. Some ex-residents of the neighborhood had spoken to the Environmental Agency about flood risk where they live and the council stated that the area is low risk for the natural hazard. Defenses were also built to prevent the town from suffering a disaster from flooding, but those failed after the area was pounded by heavy rains for days. Flooding is a major natural hazard and can impact a more developed region of the world that is accustomed to prolonged periods of rain. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20510497

Total Insured Losses Estimate from Superstorm Sandy over $11 Billion

According to Property Claims Service (PCS), the estimated insured losses from hurricane Sandy adds up to more than $11 billion, however experts expect this number to rise. The estimate put forth by PCS is not high enough for catastrophe bonds to be used for the losses. This industry loss compilation service defines whether this event qualifies as an insurance payout under the deal's terms. On the other hand, other disaster modeling firms such as AIR Worldwide and RMS are putting losses to over $20 billion, which would result in payouts for two catastrophe bonds. Although the current PCS estimate is favorable for investors, their intial guess has gone up significantly after prior disaster events such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Irene. This storm is continuing to have severe impacts on the east coast of the US and may require using catastrophe bonds for a payout. http://www.weather.com/news/sandy-insured-losses-20121123

deadly floods spread danger in England

Torrential rains and strong winds battered parts of southwest England on Sunday and has claimed the life of one woman who was killed by a falling tree. Severe flood warnings have been sent out as many of the streets in parts of England became inaccessible due to standing water from expanding rivers and streams. One town in particular Cornwall in southwest England as water from the rivers bursted their banks and swept through the streets of the historic city. This hazard has also affected railways, which are shut down due to landslides and flooding. England is accustomed to receiving lots of precipitation, however this year has been wet to their standards. Even in a more developed country floods can bring significant damage and even fatalities. Authorities also warn that floods may persist as forecasters warn that more rain is coming after days of downpours. http://www.weather.com/news/uk-flooding-20121125

Significant Burma Earthquake near populated areas

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit 70 miles north of Mandalay, Burma's second largest city on Sunday November 11th. 26 people dead and 10 missing are from the direct and indirect causes of the earthquakes. Although earthquakes are common in Burma, hundreds of buildings were destroyed or damaged from the one on Sunday. Aid has been sent to the affected areas, but authorities claim that communication problems have made it difficult to fully assess the damage. Strong aftershocks also followed the initial quake creating a lot of panic and fear in area residents. As aforementioned, earthquakes are common in this part of the world, but can still greatly affect the people living there. Burma is a less developed country, therefore it does not have the greatest infrastructure to mitigate the effects of a strong earthquake.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20317709

Floods prove to be fatal in Italy

After days of heavy rains and strong winds in parts of Italy including the Tuscany and Umbria regions, flooding has begun to create major problems claiming at least 4 lives. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, three people died when their car fell off a collapsing bridge and another 73 year old man died when his car was submerged under the floodwaters. These rains have caused power outages in those areas as some people are even forced to flee their homes. Public transport such as railways and roads has also been disrupted from the floods leaving people stranded. It has been reported on Monday that 70% of Venice is underwater from sea levels reaching the 6th highest since 1872. The image above shows how the major flooding is affecting the city of Venice and its people.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20318043

Fatal Earthquake strikes in Guatemala

A 7.4 earthquake in Guatemala Wednesday last night has claimed at least 48 lives with a dozen still missing. The first image shows a whole mountain side collapsing from the quake. The second image displays a squashed truck from the rubble that fell during the shaking. This occurred near the border with Mexico as they also felt the shaking. In fact shaking was felt as far as Mexico City, 600 miles away from the actual location of the quake. Although this occurred off the coast of Guatemala there was no tsunamis following the earthquake. Medical responders rushed to the scene to treat the injured and find the missing people. As many as 5 aftershocks were also felt after the initial shake, which kept people frightened over night. This area is prone to earthquakes because of its proximity to the fault line off the coast, however it is almost always a surprise when one strikes because no one is ready for it. Many structures in Guatemala are also not strong enough to withstand high magnitude quakes and thus may result in more damage/deaths.

http://www.weather.com/news/guatemala-major-earthquake-damage-20121107

Haiti seeks $74 Million for destruction of agriculture from Hurricane Sandy

Not only did Hurricane Sandy have huge devastating effects on the US east coast, but it also hit the country Haiti in the Caribbean hard too. The Haitian government and the UN are asking for $74 million to help poor farmers who lost everything in the storm. Their crops and livestock were literally washed away when Sandy hit and now there is a food crisis in the already impoverished nation south of the US. In as little as a few months the country has been hit with three major disasters starting with the drought in May-June and tropical storm Isaac, which was a direct hit. Haiti is still recovering from the 2010 earthquake that has displaced many families and added to the poverty in the nation. After the storm there are currently 2 million Haitians that are in danger of malnutrition. In order to prevent many from suffering any more from these disasters, aid must come soon. Although Sandy had a big impact on the US, it also had one on Haiti, which is more accustomed to them than the east coast. Nevertheless, the country is still in poverty and storms as powerful as these can be devastating.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/07/3085829/haiti-un-seek-74-million-to-help.html

Megastorm Sandy has impact on Eastern Wisconsin Communities

Evacuation was urged along the shoreline in Kenosha County because of a threat of strong waves on lake Michigan from Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast of the US. The image above shows the pier and lighthouse in Port Washington, WI in Ozaukee County. The pier usually sits 10 to 15 feet above the water level, but in this image it is hard to make out where the wall is. Sandy is so powerful that communities 800 miles west are feeling its impacts. The National Weather Service predicted winds of 45 to 60 miles per hour on Lake Michigan. The areas west of the metra rail and lower than an elevation near or below 595 feet are urged to evacuation as waves as high as 18 feet were expected to hit the shore.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/east-coast-storms-could-lead-to-33foot-waves-on-lake-michigan-6h7csjs-176231341.html

Megastorm Sandy's cost upwards of $50 Billion and Counting

Streets are flooded, electricity is out, and some neighborhoods are completely washed away as the Megastorm called Sandy led a destructive path into the New Jersey shore on the East Coast of the US. The recent economic costs of this storm is estimated to be $50 billion and counting. The unique nature of the storm and the combination of a strong storm surge has made way for huge amounts of damage in many areas along the East Coast. Two factors for such a cost: loss of economic business activity (stocks were also shut down) and damages to uninsured property losses. Meteorologists report most of the damage was done because of the powerful storm surge. The storm, combined with a full moon brought huge storm surges to the coastlines even though Sandy was a category 2 hurricane when it hit. Damages are high even for a developed country like the US, however they are already calling this close or equivalent to the perfect storm that hit Massachussetts decades ago. Sandy had all the right ingredients to have an impact that it did. The recovery will be a long process and not everything will be rebuilt. If New Jersey were to rebuild its coastline with better storm surge protection, it would mitigate the impact of another storm of similar magnitude. Also important is the high population area that was in the path of Sandy. It affected people as far inland as the west Lake Michigan shoreline in Wisconsin.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/49622885

Strong Earthquake strikes Costa Rica

Wednesday October 24, 2012

A powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica yesterday close the Pacific coast. People are still shaken up as this natural hazard always comes unexpected. Costa Rican and US seismologists are calling this quake an aftershock of the more powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the same coast last month. This most recent quake, however was also followed by a smaller after immediately after with a magnitude of 4.5. There has not been a lot of damage reported by authorities, but residents of the region should be cautious about being inside unstable or weak structures as there is still a chance of more aftershocks to follow.

http://www.weather.com/news/costa-rica-earthquake-20121024

Scientists guilty for Manslaughter after 2009 Italian Earthquake

Seven scientists who are part of the National Great Risks Commission were convicted of manslaughter on Monday October 22nd for failure to sufficiently warn residents before an earthquake struck in Italy in 2009 killing more than 300 lives. The scientists defended in the case that there is no reliable way to predict earthquakes and warn people. Seismologists in the US are in disbelief at the convictions stating that it is a sad day for science. These Italian experts who were convicted of this crime are some of the most internationally respected seismologists and well-known throughout the world. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the historic town of L'aquila in 2009 and killed 308 people. They were accused of giving incomplete, inexact, and contradictory information for explaining the tremors that occurred months before the quake had hit. Prosecutors in Italy are comparing this disaster to the magnitude that Hurricane Katrina had on the US in 2005 even though that was a different disaster in itself. One American geologist Brooks Hanson of the American Association for the Advancement of Science states that "with earthquakes we just don't know how a swarm will proceed." It is a well-known fact that this natural disaster is hard to detect and warn residents before striking. It is a shame that people who are passionate about this science have to pay for not being able to warn residents in time of the disaster and shows how different the reaction of this disaster has on another country. Some areas of Italy are prone to earthquakes and have historic buildings that are in bad shape to withstand them.
http://www.weather.com/news/italy-earthquake-trial-20121021

Typhoon Prapiroon causes problems for Japan's southern Islands

Typhoon Prapiroon made landfall on Japan's southern islands this morning on October 18th 2012 including Okinawa. This is one of the many typhoons or hurricanes that have hit the area this season. Thankfully this typhoon is not as strong as the previous ones such as Jelawat and Bolaven, which were considered to be "super" storms that caused a lot of damage to Japan earlier this year. The island of Amami Oshima was hit yesterday by the storm and reports 1,200 without power. Air travel has also been affected as flights were cancelled for the day leaving people stranded for the time being until the storm passes. Even though it is not as powerful as the previous storm that have hit the area, residents should still take precaution when going outside and are advised to stay out of flooded roadways and downed power lines. This region is accustomed to hurricanes and therefore the magnitude is not as great as it could be worse for an area that seldom sees these natural hazards.
http://japandailypress.com/typhoon-prapiroon-wreaks-havoc-causes-blackouts-in-japans-southern-islands-1816552

Flooding bring Crocodiles and Hippos into Nigerian Homes

 

 In the span of a few months between July and October 2012, the swollen rivers (Niger and Benue) in Nigeria began to flow through the streets of several communities. These floodwaters brought along a few a dangerous animals including crocodiles, hippos, and snakes into the homes of residents. There are hundreds of thousands that have been displaced from this flood, which is the worst the country has seen in many decades. The flood has also claimed hundreds of lives in the worse hit communities. One resident describes coming back to her home in waist high water and found a hippo inside. Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency is urging people not to return to their homes because of these dangerous animals that are everywhere. For now people need to remain on dry land until the ok is given and the waters have receded. Nigeria is a third world country located in a warm climate where animals such as these exist and create more problems during floods. If this happened in one of the MDCs, the effects would not be as great and there would be less fatalities. Flooding is a major natural disaster for many third world (LDC) countries and can affect this area for years after the event.  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19818180

The Supreme Court Rejects Chevron's $19 billion appeal

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2010/2010-05-26-092.html
In what is not a traditional natural hazard caused by nature but rather by humans creating a hazard against nature, Chevron's appeal was denied on October 9th, 2012 by the US supreme court for inheriting the damages done to Lago Agrio in Ecuador. The oil company bought Texaco in 2001, which is blamed for causing major damage to the environment in this area between 1964 and 1992 totaling up to $19 billion dollars owed by the company. Although the court did not explain the exact reason for making the decision, Chevron still expects to fight the fradulent Ecuadorean judgment. The amount was originally supposed to be $8.6 billion in damages to the environment, but because the company at the time (Texaco) did not apologize to the public, that total more than doubled. Residents of the area are still dealing with the environmental impacts of this disaster, which greatly affects their drinking water and the marine life they depend on for a food source.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19892561

West African Sandstorm spreads over the Atlantic

A huge dust formation blew off the western coast of Africa near the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic on October 8th, 2012. NASA's aqua satellite captured this image during the second consecutive day of the dust storm. There are large amounts of sand seas spreading across many West African countries such as Mauritania, Western Sahara, and others that neighbor them. This Saharan air layer commonly forms over the region between late spring and early fall bringing the dust westward across the Atlantic Ocean. One major problem with dust storms moving across the Atlantic to the Carribean is that they are linked with coral declines. However, the Amazon and Carribean islands benefit from these regular dustings as it provides soils to the ground. For people in southern Florida, the dust can cause problems for some people with breathing. It is advised that people with respiratory problems should take precautions before going outside. There is not a method to prevent this natural hazard from occurring, but warn people about the health problems associated with it.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79358

October snowstorm in the Upper Midwest

An early snowstorm hits parts of the upper Midwest today and is expected to drop 6-12 includes in some places of North Dakota and Minnesota. The first snowfall of the season is usually the hardest for drivers as they have not experienced slippery road conditions in 8 months. Wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour are also expected to make it blizzard conditions, which drivers should take caution before leaving the house. Excel has also reported power outages to as many as 6,500 people in the Fargo region for 6 hours. This early October snowstorm is uncharacteristic of the unusually warm winter experienced last year. Nevertheless, people should be smart and safe when there is a winter storm warning in effect.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2012/10/04/early-snowstorm-hits-plains/1613225/

Typhoon Jelawat flips cars in Okinawa

Super Typhoon Jelawat slammed the island of Okinawa in the East Pacific on Saturday with sustained winds of 87 miles per hour and gusts up to 137mph, capable of flipping large vehicles over. Over half of the population was without power when the storm hit and it claimed one life and injured 50. Jelawat also hit mainland Japan on Sunday causing more power outages and injuring 145 residents. This was the third typhoon to hit Okinawa in a month and many are already calling it the worst out of the three. People needed to take cover from the strong winds as they were dangerous enough to move vehicles as big as semis around.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/typhoon-jelawat-slams-okinawa-and-mainland-japan-video/2012/10/01/e04c1e6a-0bec-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_blog.html

Most Intense September Storm in 30 years strikes the UK

The strongest September storm to hit the UK in over 30 years has caused widespread flooding and wind damage across the British archipelago. Meteorologists gave warning to UK residents of winds to 70 miles per hour along the southeast coast of England and rains totaling 3 inches in parts. The storm made landfall on Monday and made its way north to Scotland also bringing heavy rains with damaging winds there. One death was blamed on this storm when a woman was hit by a falling tree branch near London on Sunday. Experts say the storm formed near the Azores last week and might have gotten a boost of energy from former Hurricane Nadine, which was weaking over the mid Atlantic. Motorists should take precaution on the roads and are advised not to take on flooded roads. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/andrews/uk-storm-cuts-loose-with-rain-wind-1/78327

Super Typhoon Jelawat heads north to Japan

Super Typhoon Jelawat continues its path north of the Philippines on its way to Okinawa and Japan. The storm has strengthened to a category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Jelawat is expected to gain speed towards mainland Japan with landfall to occur sunday and into monday south of Tokyo. With lower temperatures in its path, Typhoon Jelawat is expected to weaken to a category 1 by the time it hits Japan. However, the air force base and residents of Okinawa should be prepared for the storm's impact. Structures should be more secure and people should evacuate to shelters.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79280

Typhoon Slams the Koreas

A strong typhoon hit North and South Korea on Monday September 17th bringing in huge amounts of rain and powerful winds. The storm has already claimed one life and has caused the power to go out for thousands in South Korea. Typhoon Sanba hit the south early Monday before heading to North Korea, however the storm exited the peninsula and moved East into the ocean. Sanba also hit Japan before moving into the Koreas where it lost most of its strength. Both countries saw flooding, but it did little damage compared to the previous typhoons that slammed the peninsula in the weeks prior. It is not unusual for typhoons to make landfall in the Koreas where residents are more prepared for them therefore there were less fatalities.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49063467/ns/weather/#.UFk8bY2PX5E  

Wildfires in the Western US continue to burn

In what looks to be a record number of acres burned due to wildfire in the US is still continuing into September. Some of these fires in the west have been burning for months now and the image above shows one that was recently discovered in eastern Montana. Some are blaming climate change and changes in forestry practice for the increase of wildfires in the US in the past decades. As a result from climate change, there is less snow and ice cover in the winter months and more heat waves during the summer. As of September 18, the wildfires have burned 8.4 million acres, a size bigger than the states of Maryland. Oregon, Idaho, and Montana were the hardest hit states this year from this devastating natural hazard. People living in these areas had to be evacuated as the flames encroached on their homes. There is not much anyone can do to prevent this natural hazard, but to be alarmed when it is threatening somebody's property.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79221

A look at the forecasted drought of summer 2012

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) in June predicted areas in the United States where drought would most likely hit. The image above shows that much of the southern portion of the country including all if not most of Texas within the extremely dry conditions. This prediction was done at the beginning of summer and missed much of the actual drought that hit southern Wisconsin. The image below shows what the real drought from this past summer.

This natural hazard represents a developmental paradigm because it will have an impact on the people living in these areas. Also looking at the drought and why it is developmental paradigm it is evident that the people hardest hit were the ones living in the great plains where much of the country's agriculture is located. To make this a complexity paradigm it is necessary to see how this affected crop yields and food prices for the US. The number of farmers with crop insurance is also an important factor because the areas that were hardest hit are not usually affected by drought. These are the few ways how nature affects humans on a big scale.

Guatemala's Volcano of Fire erupts

 

Guatemala's "Volcán del Fuego" erupted this morning September 13, 2012 six miles southwest of the city of Antigua, population 45,000. Evacuation orders have already been sent out for more than 33,000 residents as thick clouds of ash and rivers of lava were ejected out. Emergency officials state that flights in the area may be affected by this major eruption in the Central American country. In the nearby state of Chiapas in Mexico might also be affected by this as winds blow the ash in their direction. According to Gustavo Chicna, a volcanologist ash was reported falling 50 miles away from the volcano. 17 nearby communities are greatly affected by this eruption and are within the evacuation zone. The area continues to be monitored as the volcano may still be erupting. Emergency procedures have been taken into affect and damage from the eruption is still unknown.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012/09/13/guatemalas-volcano-of-fire-erupts-33000-evacuated/57777654/1

Britain's wettest summer totals 1 billion pounds

In what appears to be Britain's wettest summer in 100 years, has taken a huge toll on farmers in the countryside. Farms are experiencing poor crop yields as many of them are rotting. The agricultural losses tally up to 600 million pounds which will negatively affect the UK's economy. Tourism has also been hit as campsites and other events had to be shut down or cancelled. As a result food prices in the UK are expected to rise. Britain was hoping this summer would yield better than last summer which was considered a bad year for farmers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19521845

Arctic Sea ice at an all time low

Recent satellite imagery from NASA's Goddard Space flight center shows a dramatic shrinking of ice on the Arctic Sea, the most it has seen in three decades. According to NASA, the extent of the ice measured on August 26, 2012 covered 1.58 million square miles breaking the previous record of 1.61 million set on September 18, 2007. Scientists do predict the ice cap to continue melting this month before it grows during the winter months. The line on the image shows where the ice cap was back in 1979 displaying a gradual decline since that time.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/arctic-seaice-2012.html