‘Concerning’ low sea ice persists as Antarctic hits third-lowest winter peak
Antarctic sea ice has recorded its third-smallest winter peak extent since satellite records began 48 years ago, new data reveals.… The post ‘Concerning’ low sea ice persists as Antarctic hits third-lowest winter peak appeared first on Carbon Brief .
Antarctic sea ice has reached its third-smallest winter peak since satellite records began 48 years ago, according to data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The maximum extent was measured at 17.59 million square kilometres on September 14, although the figures are still provisional. Scientists are expressing concern over the persistently low values, but they need more time to determine if this represents a structural shift in Antarctic sea ice extent.
Meanwhile, the Arctic recorded its minimum summer sea ice extent on September 12, ranking as the 10th-lowest in the satellite record. The last 20 years have seen the 20 lowest Arctic sea ice extents on record. Arctic sea ice thickness has been declining due to human-caused climate change, making the region fundamentally different compared to a few decades ago.
Written by urgent.news from Carbon Brief's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
