"The record could be a hint that Antarctic sea ice is finally starting to behave as expected as the planet warms."
"The amount of floating sea ice encircling Antarctica reached the lowest level ever recorded, scientists reported Tuesday, a sign that one of the most remote and mysterious facets of the climate system may, at last, be responding to the overall planetary warming trend.
The latest measurements represent the lowest reading for overall Antarctic sea ice extent since satellite monitoring began in late 1978. This marks the second year in a row that, as the Antarctic summer wears on and the Southern Ocean’s blanket of sea ice shrinks to its yearly minimum extent, a record low has been recorded.
The extent of ice around Antarctica dwindled to roughly 737,000 square miles as of Feb. 13, based on data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado; it measured roughly 741,000 square miles during the previous low, on Feb. 25, 2022."
Chris Mooney reports for the Washington Post February 14, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"Warming Seas Are Carving Into Glacier That Could Trigger Sea Level Rise" (Washington Post)
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