Since the beginning of June, sea ice globally has been at a record low. This is what the Meteorological Institute writes in a press release on Tuesday.
In Antarctica, where winter is coming to an end, the annual maximum level is the lowest ever recorded.
After this year’s winter season in Antarctica, there is 3.07 million square kilometers less sea ice than there was in the record year 2014. This corresponds to an area almost as large as India, which has an area of 3.29 million square kilometers.
– What we are seeing now are not natural variations in ice extent, but a decline after months of record low ice cover in Antarctica. This is a very disturbing development, says climate researcher Signe Aaboe.
The winter season in the Southern Hemisphere leaves the sea ice in a dramatic state. Little sea ice can affect the temperature of the sea, weather systems and accelerate global warming, according to the institute.
RARE SIGHTS: An enormous iceberg has recently broken out of Antarctica. The iceberg is three times the size of Oslo municipality. Photo: AP Show more
– Large margin
On Tuesday, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) also reports that the sea ice around Antarctica probably had a record low surface area when it was at its largest this winter, and refers to a preliminary analysis of satellite data.
The Southern Hemisphere is heading into the spring months now, and during the winter Antarctic sea ice reached a maximum size of 16.96 million square kilometers, which was measured on September 10th.
Sound the alarm
Sea ice is usually at its greatest during the colder winter months, so the September 10 reading is likely to remain the year’s peak.
– This is the lowest level the sea ice has been at its greatest from 1979 to 2023 by a large margin, NSIDC says in a statement.
The level was 1.03 million square kilometers less than the previous recorded low level.
Lite is i Arktis
In the Arctic, the melting season is over and winter is on its way.
– We are not seeing any new records in the Arctic this year, but the distribution is still markedly lower than the normal period, says Aaboe.
LESS ICE: The illustration shows the sea ice concentration in the Arctic in August this year. Illustration: Meteorological Institute Show more
It is mainly in the sea areas towards Alaska, the Bering Strait and the Siberian coast that enormous amounts of ice are missing. Towards Europe, the ice conditions are more like normal.
– Generally speaking, there is a very worrying development in both the Arctic and Antarctic. We are now missing 3.4 million square kilometers of sea ice globally compared to normal, and there is nothing to indicate that the sea ice will grow back to normal size in the future, concludes Aaboe.
2023-09-26 06:22:30
#Record #sea #ice #Disturbing
