BBC article incorrectly attributes predictions of imminent sea ice loss to University of Washington

The BBC article Climate tech fixes urged for Arctic methane incorrectly identifies the University of Washington as the source for a prediction of the disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic in the next few years.

“Analysis from the University of Washington, in Seattle, using ice thickness data from submarines and satellites, suggests that Septembers could be ice-free within just a few years.”

This is factually incorrect. The graph apparently comes from an unidentified online  blog posting which uses some of our data to conduct its analysis. This analysis extrapolates PIOMAS ice volume data to arrive at a date when sea ice might first disappear. This extrapolation represents the analysis and judgement of the unidentified poster of the graph. The University of Washington was not involved in this analysis. We have informed the BBC and asked for a correction.

The Arctic Sea Ice Blog  provides an interesting discussion on the sourcing of the extrapolation (here)

Update: The BBC has corrected their article to reflect the distinction between the use of PIOMAS data and the extrapolation.