ANTARCTIC SEA ICE AREA DOWN AGAIN IN 2024: The Guardian
Below are key extracts from a report now running in The Guardian about Antarctic sea ice area possibly contracting to a record low this year, after 2023's extreme event.
THE GUARDIAN:
"Hobbs said at monthly and yearly timescales the atmosphere was the main driver of regional variability.
"“What’s different now is that warmer Southern Ocean temperatures are really having an impact on the sea ice,” he said.
" “We know that the past two years have been the warmest on record for the planet, with global temperatures more than 1.5C above pre-industrial for extended periods. This global warmth is now reflected in the oceans around the Antarctic.”
"On Saturday, Southern Ocean sea ice covered 17m sq km, less than the previous low of 17.1m sq km last year. The long-term average for 7 September based on satellite data is 18.4m sq km.
"The Antarctic winter typically starts in March and lasts until October.
"Dr Phil Reid, from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, said it was too early to definitively say whether the winter sea ice had reached its annual maximum level, but it was startling it had dropped so far below average in consecutive years.
"He said while scientists were just starting to understand the impact low sea ice levels had on the weather and climate, recent studies had suggested it contributed to an increase in summertime rain events and dry winter days in Australia.
" “Ocean and atmosphere interactions induced by Antarctic sea ice loss are thought to drive these changes,” Reid said."
