Antarctic sea ice at record low

August 17, 2023

Share to Google Classroom

Antarctic sea ice has reached an alarming low point during this winter season, dropping to levels that haven’t been seen in the past four decades. This decline is even more drastic than the dire predictions made by climate scientists. Compared to any other year since 1980, the sea ice extent this year has plummeted by a staggering 20%.

A professor named Tim Naish from Victoria University of Wellington said the ice didn’t form like it usually does in the winter. He said it’s really unusual and not what anyone expected.

Naish said, “It’s way different from what we usually see. It’s like winning the lottery to predict it.” He means it’s very unlikely to guess it correctly, even more unlikely than winning a big prize in a game.

Scientists are talking about this at a meeting called the New Zealand-Australia Antarctic Science Conference. They’re worried because ice in Antarctica is very important. It helps keep our planet cool by reflecting sunlight.

A scientist named Richard Levy explained, “When we have more white ice covering the Earth, it’s like wearing a reflective jacket. The sunlight bounces back into space.” But if we lose this ice, the planet gets warmer because it absorbs more heat.

Antarctica has three kinds of ice: sea ice, ice shelves, and a big ice sheet on the land. If the big ice sheet melts and goes into the ocean, it can make sea levels rise a lot.

Levy said that as the planet gets warmer and sea ice shrinks, the next thing to worry about is the ice shelves. These changes are important because they affect how high the sea gets and how our planet stays healthy.

LEARNING OPTIONS