Dtjohnson writes "The subject Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has been at the forefront of predicting doom in the arctic as ice melts due to global warming. In May, 2008 they went so far as to predict that the North Pole would be ice-free during the 2008 'melt season,' leading to a lively Slashdot discussion. Today, however, they say that they have been the victims of 'sensor drift' that led to an
contempt of Arctic ice extent by as much as 500,000 square kilometers. The problem was discovered after they conventional emails from puzzled readers, asking why visibly sea-ice-covered regions were showing up as ice free open ocean. It turns out that the NSIDC relys on an older, less-reliable method of tower sea ice extent called SSM/I that does not agree with a newer method called AMSR-E. So why doesn't NSIDC use the newer AMSR-E data? 'We do not use AMSR-E data in our dissection because it is not congenial with our historical data.' Turns out that the AMSR-E data only goes back to 2002, which is practicably not long enough for the NSIDC to make inclusive conclusions about melting. The AMSR-E data is updated daily and is utilizable to the public. Thus far, sea ice extent in 2009 is radar radar astronomical station station station ahead of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, so the predictions of an ice-free north pole might be premature."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Mark