Record Low Antarctic Sea Ice Raises Climate Change Concerns
September 25, 2022 (Reuters) – This winter, sea ice levels around Antarctica reached record lows, according to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), intensifying concerns among scientists about the escalating impact of climate change in the southern pole.
The decline in sea ice could have devastating consequences for animals like penguins, which rely on the ice for breeding and rearing their young. Additionally, the reduction in white ice means that less sunlight is reflected back into space, thereby hastening global warming.
On September 10, the Antarctic sea ice extent reached its peak for the year, covering 16.96 million square kilometers (6.55 million square miles). This is the lowest winter maximum since satellite records began in 1979 and is approximately 1 million square kilometers less than the previous winter record set in 1986.
“It’s not just a record-breaking year, it’s an extreme record-breaking year,” said NSIDC senior scientist Walt Meier.
The NSIDC statement emphasizes that the figures are preliminary, with a comprehensive analysis set to be released next month.
The Southern hemisphere experiences reversed seasons, with sea ice typically reaching its maximum extent in September near the end of winter and melting to its lowest point in February or March as summer comes to a close.
This year, the summer Antarctic sea ice extent also hit a record low in February, breaking the previous mark set in 2022.
While the Arctic has experienced significant climate change impacts in recent years, with sea ice rapidly deteriorating, the impact of warming temperatures on sea ice near the southern pole has been less certain. Between 2007 and 2016, sea ice extent in Antarctica actually grew.
However, the shift towards record-low conditions in recent years has raised concerns among scientists that climate change is finally making its presence felt in Antarctic sea ice.
While it remains too early to draw definitive conclusions, a recent study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment pointed to climate change as a potential contributing factor. The study found that warming ocean temperatures, primarily driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, have been contributing to the lower sea ice levels since 2016.
Ariaan Purich, a sea ice researcher at Australia’s Monash University and co-author of the study, emphasized the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect the frozen regions of the world.
“The key message here is that to protect these frozen parts of the world that are really important for a whole number of reasons, we really need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” Purich said.
The record-low sea ice levels in Antarctica serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for global action to combat climate change and protect fragile ecosystems. Continued monitoring and research will be crucial in understanding and addressing the implications of these concerning developments.
Reporting by Jake Spring
Editing by Bill Berkrot