The NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day is of the Arctic Sea Ice Extent from 2009 to 2010. The image on the left is from September, when the sea ice usually reaches its minimum. On the right is the sea ice maximum for the year, which usually occurs during the month of March. Sea ice peaked on March 31, the latest peak in the satellite record, which dates back to 1979. Strong winds over the Bering and Barents Seas generated a renewal in the sea ice formation late in the season.
At first glance, the ice appears to have not declined that much in the winter image. What the image doesn’t reveal, though, is ice thickness and age. The ice is thinner and younger than before. A few of the many consequences of this are that polar bears have a harder time fishing, while ships might have an easier time navigating.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
