Antarctic sea ice reaches record low annual maximum

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
26 Sep 2023 08:01

Scientists are concerned that global warming might have transitioned the area into a new period marked by vanishing ice.

This undated photo courtesy of NASA shows Thwaites Glacier in Western Antarctica. (AFP/NASA)

Antarctica has likely set a new record for the lowest annual maximum amount of sea ice around the continent, with the difference being a million square kilometers, The Guardian reported.

This recent state marks the continuation of a series of records regarding the sea ice in Antarctica. Scientists are concerned that the impact of global warming may have transitioned the region into a new phase characterized by diminishing ice, which could have extensive repercussions on the planet's climate and sea levels.

Every September, Antarctica hits its maximum sea ice extent. The average during the period from 1981 to 2010 was 18.71 million square kilometers. However, the preliminary analysis from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) indicates that the sea ice reached a maximum of 16.96 million square kilometers on September 10 and has been decreasing since then.

In 2023, the maximum sea ice extent was 1.75 million square kilometers less than the long-term average, and it was approximately 1 million square kilometers lower than the previous record low set in 1986.

Antarctica's sea ice follows a yearly pattern, with the smallest extent typically occurring in February and the greatest extent in September.

Antarctica's sea ice had remained fairly constant until 2016 when it broke the previous record for the lowest summer minimum. Since then, additional record lows have been established, including the most recent one in February.

Researchers are currently working to decipher the causes behind this remarkable streak of record-breaking events, which is likely a result of a combination of natural fluctuations and the effects of global warming.