The Antarctic has seen a record low sea ice level recently. This is an extreme situation like never before. The ice is expected to shrink more before this year’s summer melting season ends.
The impact of the climate crisis was seen in the Arctic in records long ago in 1979.
Image source: phys.org
The loss of Antarctic sea ice in the last six years reveals that there are record levels of heat in the ocean. There are also changes in weather patterns that indicate that climate change is the cause. Scientists have talked about Antarctic ice. There was a prediction in 2014 that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) which is on the top of the continent can collapse due to the levels of global heating seen at that time.
The increasing loss of sea ice leads ice sheets and their glaciers to waves and it further leads to disintegration and melting. The WAIS can gradually collapse and lead to 4 meters of sea level rise. This will lead to a global temperature rise as low as 1C.
There is an extremely ice-free situation in Antarctica. The continental shelf is now completely ice-free. It is a large area. This change has taken place quite quickly. The decline in sea ice over the past six years is something surprising. This is because there has not been any change in ice cover in the last 35 years.
Image source: wion.com
The Antarctic sea ice fell to a lower level. And this is below the previous record set in 2022. Sea ice melts in the Antarctic summer. This happens before it starts to grow again as autumn comes. Much of the Antarctic coast is ice-free. Low sea ice cover is also linked to wave-induced stresses on the floating ice shelves in the continent. This leads to the break up of weaker areas.
The intense melting can be due to high air temperatures to the west and east of the Antarctic Peninsula. There have been strong westerly winds. These increase sea ice retreat. The consequence is intensified melting ice shelves which is an important part of future global sea-level rise.
Historical records also show weird changes in Antarctica. There is now less sea-ice in the Antarctica as compared to the 1970s. It is the southern hemisphere, so less sea-ice is expected.
It is a result of climate change but there are other reasons also. Antarctic sea-ice was decreasing early in the last century but then there was an increase. Recently, there has been a great variability.
Image source: cgtn.com
The sea ice will start increasing again. And it is important that it does. Freezing sea water at ocean’s surface ousts salt and makes the water below denser. This causes sinking.
Sea-ice is very important for sea-life at the poles. In the Antarctic, the algae that attach to the ice are a food source for organisms like krill. Krill are a basic food source for whales, seals, penguins, and other birds. The sea-ice is also home for species to rest.
The sea-ice low has been because of the unusually high air temperatures to the west and east of the Antarctic Peninsula. Most portion of the Antarctic has been warmer than average. There is also the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). It plays a major role in deciding weather conditions in the region. It leads to variations in atmospheric pressure around Antarctica which influences westerly winds. This mode is strongly operating at this moment. This makes the westerlies stronger and makes them move to the poles. This leads to increased storminess. And also warmer waters to melt out.
The strong trends seen in the SAM are also linked with the ozone hole and the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
It is different from Arctic ice melt. The Arctic is surrounded by continents. The Antarctic is surrounded by the ocean. There is a divergence in geography. Ice growth in winter in the Antarctic is less inhibited.
This sea-ice low is a mysterious characteristic of the climate system. The sea ice is going to decline further throughout February. The seasonal swings have made it difficult to discern trends in the Antarctic.
Image source: weatherunderground.com
The warming of the planet’s oceans is now reaching the Antarctic. And there are trends in sea ice. Antarctic sea ice has been quite variable in the past years. In the Antarctic, sea-ice low also affects Earth’s reflectivity. There are some consequences that can be there. Like, exposing the great Antarctic ice shelves to more beating by waves. If the ice shelves have been damaged by surface melting or warm ocean waters below and this can destabilize them.
Antarctic ice shelves provide a stabilizing function. If damaged, glaciers will flow faster. Sea levels will rise more.
By Bhawna