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Antarctica sea ice melts to a record low

Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Small masses of ice in the Gray Glacier, in Chilean Patagonia, 25 December 2022 (issued 26 January 2023). The academic and glaciologist from the University of Chile Alexis Segovia told EFE on 26 January that the recent detachment of a large mass of ice in Antarctica is " a="" common="" and="" is="" not="" directly="" related="" to="" the="" climate="" although="" this="" could="" negatively="" affect="" iceberg.="" According="" press="" release="" by="" British="" Antarctic="" Survey="" huge="" iceberg="" almost="" of="" Greater="" broke="" off="" thick="" Brunt="" Ice="" Shelf="" on="" after="" cracks="" that="" have="" been="" developing="" naturally="" over="" last="" few="" years="" extended="" across="" entire="" ice="" causing="" new="" break="" free.="" EPA-EFE="" JAVIER="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/02/17/20230217-iceberg-gray-glacier-epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Small masses of ice in the Gray Glacier, in Chilean Patagonia, 25 December 2022 (issued 26 January 2023). The academic and glaciologist from the University of Chile Alexis Segovia told EFE on 26 January that the recent detachment of a large mass of ice in Antarctica is &#x27;a common phenomenon&#x27; and is not directly related to the climate crisis, although this could negatively affect the iceberg. According to a press release by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), a huge iceberg (1550 km2), almost the size of Greater London, broke off the 150m thick Brunt Ice Shelf on 22 January, after cracks that have been developing naturally over the last few years extended across the entire ice shelf, causing the new iceberg to break free. <em>EPA-EFE/JAVIER MARTIN</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>PARIS, France - The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice has shrunk to a record low, exposing the thicker ice shelves buttressing Antarctica&#x27;s ground ice sheet to waves and warmer temperatures, scientists reported Thursday.</p><p>The National Snow and Ice Data Center in the United States said Antarctica&#x27;s sea ice fell to 1.91 million square kilometres (737,000 square miles) this week, the lowest extent since records began in 1979.</p><p>The previous all-time low was set last year. </p><p>&quot;With a couple more weeks likely left in the melt season, the extent is expected to drop further before reaching its annual minimum,&quot; the NSIDC said in a statement. </p><p>Melting sea ice has no discernible impact on sea levels because the ice is already in ocean water.</p><p>But the sea ice rings Antarctica&#x27;s massive ice shelves, the extensions of the freshwater glaciers that threaten catastrophic sea level rise over centuries if they continue melting as global temperatures rise.</p><p>The NSIDC said &quot;much of the Antarctic coast&quot; has water that is now without ice, &quot;exposing the ice shelves that fringe the ice sheet to wave action and warmer conditions&quot;.</p><p>The Antarctic cycle undergoes significant annual variations during its summers of thawing and winters of freezing, and the continent has not experienced the rapid melting of the past four decades that plague the ice sheets of Greenland and the Arctic due to global warming.</p><p>But the high melt rate since 2016 raises concerns that a significant downward trend may be taking hold.</p><p>Melting of the sea ice is problematic because it helps accelerate global warming. </p><p>When white sea ice -- which bounces up to 90 percent of the Sun&#x27;s energy back into space -- is replaced by dark, unfrozen sea, the water absorbs a similar percentage of the Sun&#x27;s heat instead. </p><p>The previous record was set in February last year, when the area of ice floating on the Antarctic Ocean fell below two million square kilometres for the first time. </p><p>Last week, Europe&#x27;s Copernicus climate monitor (C3s) said that the January ice extent was already at a record low. </p><p>Globally, last year was the fifth or sixth warmest on record despite the cooling influence of a natural La Nina weather pattern. </p><p>bl-lp/klm/mh/js</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eFUGd9k6Wrk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice has shrunk to a record low, exposing the thicker ice shelves buttressing Antarctica's ground ice sheet to waves and warmer temperatures.