‘Concerning’ low sea ice persists as Antarctic hits third-lowest winter peak
Antarctic sea ice has reached its third-lowest winter peak on record, continuing a trend of concerning low values. Scientists are currently debating whether this represents natural variability or a structural shift due to climate change.
Why it matters
Persistent low sea ice levels in the Antarctic could have significant implications for global climate patterns and ocean health.
Share Antarctic sea ice has recorded its third-smallest winter peak extent since satellite records began 48 years ago, new data reveals.
Provisional data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) shows that Antarctic sea ice hit its annual winter peak on 14 September, with an extent of 17.59m square kilometres (km2).
The organisation notes that the data is still preliminary, adding that “large fluctuations in extent are typical of Antarctic sea ice near the seasonal maximum”.
One expert tells Carbon Brief that it is “concerning to see these low values persisting”, but says that scientists need more time to determine whether this represents a “structural shift” in Antarctic sea ice extent.
Meanwhile, at the Earth’s other pole, Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum on 12 September, ranking as the joint-10th lowest in the satellite record.
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