Ice level of Antarctic sea reaches record low in 2023
Date
5/21/2024 5:31:01 AM
(MENAFN) A report published by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on Monday confirmed record-low levels of sea ice in the Antarctic last year, attributing the phenomenon to climate change. According to the research findings, the area of winter Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest measurement since satellite records began in the late 1970s.
Scientists conducting the study determined that the record-breaking low sea ice extent observed in 2023 would have been a rare occurrence with a return period of one-in-a-2,000-years in the absence of climate change. However, they noted that the influence of climate change has made such events four times more likely.
The report also issued a warning about the possibility of the Antarctic sea ice transitioning to a new and lower state in the coming decades, based on the observed trend. This suggests that the extreme low sea ice levels witnessed in 2023 may become more commonplace in the future due to the effects of climate change.
Lead author Rachel Diamond emphasized that while climate change increased the likelihood of the extreme low sea ice levels observed in 2023, they were still considered highly exceptional according to the models used in the study. The research utilized a comprehensive set of climate models to assess the rarity of the event.
Diamond highlighted the challenges in evaluating changes in sea ice extent, noting that measurements are primarily reliant on data from a 45-year-old satellite. She underscored that, according to the models, the record-breaking minimum sea ice extent in 2023 would have been an exceedingly rare occurrence in the absence of climate change.
Co-author Louise Sime emphasized the potential far-reaching impacts of prolonged low Antarctic sea ice levels, including significant effects on both local and global weather patterns. The findings underscore the urgent need for continued research and action to address the consequences of climate change in polar regions.
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