Welp, Scientists Say Antarctic Sea Ice Is at a Record Low

There has been an enormous loss of sea ice in recent years. A new analysis has shown that the situation is worse than previously thought.

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the sea ice in Antarctica has reached a record low. On Tuesday, ice covered roughly 750,000 square miles of the region's coast, which is well below the previous low of 815,000 square miles in March of last year.

Marilyn Raphael, a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, told The New York Times that it was unprecedented.

Ice Ice Maybe

Scientists are quick to point out that it is still unclear what is causing the ice melt. While experts are certain that rapid warming in surrounding waters is responsible for the loss of ice in the north, the same cannot be said for the south.

It's hard to connect the two, especially in terms of single events like this one, according to a climate scientist at the University of Washington.

It isn't necessarily warm waters that surround the sea ice that is causing it.

There are indications that it is due to a combination of elements including atypical atmospheric patterns resulting in higher sea surface temperatures and stronger-than-normal winds that have driven the ice into warmer northern waters.

Fast Drop

Scientists have been thrown by how quickly this drop occurred. When sea ice in Antarctica is melting, it tends to rebound and stay above average levels for a while. The recent drop was much faster than expected.

“It happened so quickly,” Raphael told the NYT. “That’s what makes this one unusual.”

Regardless of whether it is caused by warming waters, stronger-than-usual winds, or unusual weather, the fact remains that the melt is probably not good news, and likely another byproduct of the damage we have done to the Earth.

The New York Times reported that the sea ice around Antarctica reached a record low.

More on ice melt, researchers say.

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