Experts are concerned about new data on sea ice in Antarctica. According to Christian Haas, head of the Sea Ice Physics section of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), the area of sea ice in Antarctica is currently significantly smaller than the average of the past 40 years. “It’s never happened since we got satellites.”
So far, the sea ice surface has recovered time and time again during the Antarctic winter. The current situation can have far-reaching consequences. “The question is whether this is the beginning of the end of the sea ice in Antarctica. If it continues like this, there will be no more sea ice in the summer.”
Natural variability or climate change?
However, it is still unclear whether this is actually due to human-induced climate change or rather natural variability.
The potential impact on the world’s oceans could be significant, as the loss of sea ice could lead to increases in ocean surface temperatures and changes in ocean currents.
Ice Albedo feedback
Haas points to the effect of ice-albedo feedback: ice efficiently reflects the sun’s rays, while the sea is more likely to absorb them and thus warm up. The shrinking ice cover thus leads to a warmer sea temperature, which in turn leads to accelerated ice melt.
Source: Krone
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