Antarctic sea ice sets new record. Check its impact on global weather, climate
To put this into perspective, the 'missing' sea ice measures approximately 386,000 square miles less than the previous record low recorded in 2022, which is larger than the land area of Egypt.
As the southern hemisphere transitions into spring, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said in a statement that Antarctic sea ice had only reached a maximum size of 16.96 million square kilometers (6.55 million square miles) this year, on September 10.
The ice pack typically reaches its largest size during the colder winter months, so the September 10 reading will likely remain this year's maximum.
«This is the lowest sea ice maximum in the 1979 to 2023 sea ice record by a wide margin,» said the NSIDC, a government-supported program at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
At its high-point this year, the sea ice was 1.03 million square kilometers smaller than the previous record, roughly the size of Texas and California combined.
The vast glacial ice sheet of Antarctica and the ice covering the surrounding seas play a vital role in climate regulation. They act as a reflective surface, bouncing the sun's energy back into the atmosphere and space. In contrast, the dark surface of the ocean absorbs a significant portion of the sun's incoming energy.
Therefore, a reduction in sea ice leads to higher temperatures, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that accelerates global warming.
FAQs
Q1. When does Antarctic sea ice reach largest size?
A1. The ice pack typically reaches its largest size during the colder winter months, so the September 10 reading will likely remain this year's maximum.
Q2. What is impact of glacial ice sheet of Antarctica?
A2. The vast glacial ice sheet of Antarctica and the ice covering the
