(Lack of) ice at the North Pole 50 years ago

...“the Skate found open water both in the summer and following winter. We surfaced near the North Pole in the winter through thin ice less than 2 feet thick. The ice moves from Alaska to Iceland and the wind and tides causes open water as the ice breaks up. The Ice at the polar ice cap is an average of 6-8 feet thick, but with the wind and tides the ice will crack and open into large polynyas (areas of open water), these areas will refreeze over with thin ice..."

Found at Watts Up With That, and offered there as grist for the mill of debate on global warming. TYWKIWDBI doesn't venture an opinion - just passing this along for information.

More Arctic and Antarctic photos have been assembled at Freeze Frame.