Antarctica has a lot less sea ice than usual. That’s bad news for all of us

Antarctica’s sea ice is at a record low level, potentially contributing to global sea level rise and climate issues.

What’s happening: Antarctica’s sea ice usually fluctuates annually, growing in the cold winter months and shrinking in the summer. This year, however, satellite data shows that almost a million square miles of ice is missing, marking the smallest amount of ice since tracking began in 1979.
* The lack of sea ice is a cause for alarm among climate scientists, such as Ted Scambos from the University of Colorado, Boulder, who noted a consistent decrease in sea ice cover since 2016, but highlights 2023 as taking a significant dropdown.

The consequences: While having less sea ice itself does not directly influence sea level rise, it does leave Antarctic glaciers and extensive ice shelves more vulnerable to ocean waves and above-freezing ocean water, accelerating their melting.
* According to Marilyn Raphael from the University of California, Los Angeles, this could lead to a significant rise in global sea levels, as water previously frozen in the ice shelves enters the ocean.
* The West Antarctic ice shelf alone could potentially raise sea levels by around 10 feet if fully melted.

Going forward: Scientists are working to predict how much ice will melt in the next century and why sea ice around Antarctica reduced so steeply this year.
* According to Scambos, warmer ocean water from other parts of the planet may be mixing with the surface layer where ice forms, slowing down freezing processes due to residual heat.
* Furthermore, less sea ice results in more heat absorption by the darker ocean water, making ice formation more difficult, indicating that this may not just be a single bad year for Antarctic sea ice.

What to watch: Raphael explains that the extent of sea ice growth in the next month will indicate what to expect in coming years, as the Antarctic sea ice reaches its maximum size in mid-September each year. If ice growth does not reach a normal maximum, the potential for further ice loss next year increases.

View original article on NPR

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