Jakarta –
Sea ice rate Antarctica hit a record low last week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Scientists warn that this extraordinary behavior could mark the beginning of long-term shrinkage.
NOAA said that, on June 27, the area of sea ice in Antarctica shrank nearly 2.6 million square kilometers below the average for this time of year, compared with the period between 1981 and 2010. Java, which covers about 126,700 square kilometers.
Due to the change of seasons in Antarctica relative to the Northern Hemisphere, Antarctica is currently winter, and sea ice should grow rapidly. While sea ice is accumulating around the continents, it is not occurring at the same rate as in previous years.
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“In the midst of its winter growth phase, Antarctic sea ice has reached record lows so far this year. Sea ice area is nearly half a million square miles below the previous low, observed in 2022,” NOAA wrote on its Twitter account.
Compared to the period between 1981 and 2010, sea ice has shrunk almost uniformly around the continental margin, except in the Amundsen Sea, off West Antarctica, where sea ice is growing and extending farther than average.
In total, Antarctic sea ice now covers approximately 11.7 million square kilometers, and this area is projected to grow until mid or late September, when the sea ice extent normally reaches a maximum of around 18.4 million square kilometers. The ice will then recede during the Antarctic spring and summer to reach an annual minimum of around 2.5 million square kilometers, which is usually recorded in late February to early March.
“Antarctic sea ice extent shows more year-to-year variation than Arctic sea ice due to geographic differences between the two regions. Nevertheless, the current record low is unusual,” said a NOAA spokesperson.
Researchers have known for some time that sea ice in the Arctic is on a long-term declining trajectory, with accelerating declines, dramatic and potentially permanent changes in landscape driven by climate change.
Researchers measured Antarctic sea ice levels to be consistently below the 1981 to 2010 average, with the lowest daily record set since April 2023 and the lowest level since satellite records began recording in March, for the second year in a row.
Watch Video “Ice Block the Size of London Breaks Up from Antarctica”
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
(rns/rns)
2023-07-05 09:15:25
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