Researchers reported minimum ice area in Antarctica in 45 years
The total ice area in Antarctica in the summer season 2022-2023 (Antarctic summer falls on calendar winter) amounted to 1.8 million square metres, the minimum for the last 45 years. In February 2024, the ice area increased to 2 million square metres, but this season still entered the top 3 seasons with the lowest ice indicators, TASS reports with reference to the press service of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) of Russia.
“At the end of February 2023, the minimum ice area in the last 45 years was recorded in coastal Antarctica – 1.8 million square kilometres. In February 2024, the sea ice area in the Southern Ocean amounted to about 2 million square kilometres. The 2023-2024 season was the third in a series of seasons with low sea ice area,” the Institute informed.
Scientists note that in the 1980s, during January – March, the ice area around Antarctica was reduced to only 3 million square kilometres. However, in the last three years, weather conditions in most areas of Antarctica were warmer than usual, which, combined with strong winds, contributed to the formation of huge ice-free areas.
There are several reasons for the appearance of low areas in the Southern Ocean. The main one is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current surrounding the Southern Ocean. As the climate changes, westerly winds intensify circular return currents, which, in turn, drive warm waters into the drifting ice.
Another reason is the degradation of the ice massif in the Pacific sector, where a volcanic belt is located along the western coast of the mainland. In September 2023, the ice cover of the Southern Ocean reached its lowest level in the last 45 years – 16.6 million square kilometres, which is beyond the limits of the climatic norm.
