Antarctic ice shrunk to record low: Should we be worried
The Antarctic sea ice cover reached its lowest in February this year. Only 66% of the sea ice extent, which is usually measured during the peak of the southern summer, was present in the Antarctic waters last month. The Arctic region also reported a decline but its ice cover is depleting faster than the Antarctic owing to some factors.
Why does this story matter?
The sea ice present in the Arctic and Antarctic regions has an effect on global climate, regional climate, and ecosystems. Since ice is more reflective than liquid water, the ice cover in these areas balances out other parts of the world that absorb heat. Lesser ice translates to lesser reflected heat, which means that there would be intense heat waves worldwide.
Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest in 45 years
"Our latest data show that Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest extent in the 45-year satellite data record," said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus Climate Change Service, to space.com. "These low sea ice conditions may have important implications for the stability of Antarctic ice shelves and ultimately for global sea level rise." Polar ice caps are a sensitive indicator of the climate crisis.
Here's how much the Antarctic sea ice has depleted
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Antarctic sea ice cover fell to 1.91 million square kilometers on February 13, 2023, setting a record low in comparison to the former record of 1.92 million square kilometers, measured on February 25, 2022. The Guardian reported that on February 25, 2023, the sea ice level in the Antarctic dropped to 1.79 million square kilometers.
Arctic sea ice levels are decreasing faster than the Antarctic
There are differences in seasonal sea ice extent between the Arctic and Antarctic which are due to their geographical positioning and their influence on atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The Arctic is surrounded by mountainous land, and the sea ice extent is limited by the surrounding land masses. Hence its ice levels decrease faster than the Antarctic region, which is a continent surrounded by oceans.
The Arctic sea ice cover has also seen worrying dips
While the Antarctic sea ice extent reached a new record low, the Arctic did not appear to do better. It tracked between the second and fourth lowest sea ice cover since the time satellite measurements began. The average Arctic sea ice level for February 2023 was 14.18 million square kilometers, which is its third-lowest recorded for February as per records.
Arctic Ocean appears to be directly affected by warming
Sea ice cover is affected by winds, ocean currents, and temperature. In the partly-enclosed Arctic Ocean, sea ice appears to be directly affected by warming, while changes in ocean winds seem to be dominating the patterns of change in sea ice around Antarctica. The strong winds during the southern spring amplified the ice loss in the Antarctic in February, said The Guardian.
