Antarctic Sea Ice Falls To Lowest Level In 43-Year Instrumental Record; Below 2 Million KM2

[hatrack]

Link to tweet

Sea ice around Antarctica has dropped to its lowest level in more than 40 years, according to preliminary data from satellites. Climate scientists say the record drop can’t yet be linked to global heating but urgent research is needed to work out why the region’s sea ice had broken a record last set only five years ago.

Data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center showed the Southern Ocean sea ice coverage had fallen below 2m sq km for the first time since satellite measurement began more than 40 years ago.

Dr Walt Meier, a senior research scientist with the NSIDC, said it coincided with strong winds over part of the Ross Sea that had pulled ice to the north, where it melted in warmer waters or was broken up by waves. This pushed the sea ice extent – the area of the ocean covered by at least 15% floating ice – to below the previous record low set in 2017. But scientists expressed caution about attributing the retreat to the increase in global temperatures linked to greenhouse gas emissions.

EDIT

Dr Will Hobbs, who studies Antarctic sea ice with the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, said the latest record was significant. There had been an expectation that after the record low of 2017 the ice would recover, he said. “But now we have these two events in five years that are off the records,” he said. “You can’t say this is climate change, but we do now have to consider whether or not the system is starting to change.”

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/23/antarctic-sea-ice-falls-to-lowest-level-since-measurements-began-in-1979