Record heat sends sea ice into retreat, worrying scientists
UN EnvironmentApr 12, 2022
According to research published by the National Snow and Ice Data Center on Thursday, Antarctica's sea ice fell to 1.91M square kilometers (737K square miles) on Feb. 13 — the lowest extent since records began in the late 1970s.
Three of the last record-breaking years for low sea ice have occurred in the past seven years. The previous all-time low of 1.92M square kilometers (741K square miles) was set on Feb. 25, 2022.
Antarctica’s sea-ice loss indicates a climate that is getting warmer and warmer and is not in balance. It shows that one of the most remote facets of the climate system is finally being affected by the overall planetary warming trend. While the melt itself is a natural process, global warming is not a process that will stop itself. It's high time the world takes the climate crisis more seriously.
Ice melt is complicated. It’s too early to link global warming and sea ice decline in Antarctica. Whether discussing sea ice in Antarctica or otherwise, there are often conflicting datasets, and not all ice melt results in sea level rise. The Earth's climate is constantly changing, and that includes Antarctica. A nuanced understanding of Earth's "cryosphere" is superior to simple climate alarmism.
There's a 50% chance that the maximum Antarctic sea ice extent will be at least 18.5 million square kilometers by 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.