The area of the Antarctic ice sheet has shrunk to its lowest level in 44 years. The Guardian writes about this, citing satellite observation data.
This area is now 1.79 million square kilometers. Thus, the third anti-record has been set since February 25 last year. Then the ice bordering the southernmost continent occupied 1.92 million square meters. km.
Massive shifts occur each year in the continent's fringing waters, with sea ice reaching a maximum of about 18 million square kilometers in September. km, and by February it is reduced to just over 2 million square meters. km.
In the summer of 2022, in the southern hemisphere on February 25, the amount of sea ice fell to 1.92 million square meters. km is a record low, according to satellite observations that began in 1979.
But by February 12 of this year, the 2022 record had already been broken. The ice continued to melt, hitting a new record low of 1.79 million square feet on February 25. km and breaking the previous record by 136,000 sq. km – an area twice the size of Tasmania.
The fate of Antarctica – especially the ice on land – is important because the continent contains enough ice to raise sea levels many meters if it melts.
"Antarctica may seem remote, but changes around the world could affect the global climate, and melting ice sheets are affecting coastal communities around the world," Monash University climate scientist Arian Puric said in a statement.