Sea ice surrounding Antarctica is on track to hit a record low for the second year in a row, continuing an “outrageous” decline in the amount of ice in the Southern Ocean, scientists say.
The Antarctic region underwent a sudden transformation in 2023, when the sea ice sheet around the continent collapsed for six months in a row.
In winter, it covered around 1.6 million km² less than the long-term average – an area roughly equal to that of Great Britain, France, Germany and Spain combined.
Glaciers, smaller and smaller
Scientists from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership said the latest data showed this happened again in 2024. On September 7, the amount of ocean ice was less than on the same date last year, they note The Guardian.
Although the winter records are not yet complete, and so it is unclear whether this season’s sea ice extent will be less than last year’s, scientists said they are part of a body of data that shows that the Antarctic system has moved to a “new state”.
“We are actually talking about two incredibly extreme events. Last year was outrageous and it’s happened again,” explained Dr Will Hobbs, a sea ice researcher at the University of Tasmania.
“High temperatures, impact on ice”
Hobbs also stated that the atmosphere was the main driver of regional variability.
“What’s different now is that the warmer temperatures in the Southern Ocean are really having an impact on the sea ice,” he said.
“We know that the last two years have been the warmest ever recorded on the planet, with global temperatures more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for extended periods. This global warming is now reflected in the oceans around Antarctica,” added the specialist.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
