Global Sea Ice is melted on record low

As the Climate Converter Service of the Copernicus announced, the area remained negative record from February 2023 for the rest of the month under the previous day. It is also the third month in a row that brings the lowest values ​​for the respective month.

• So was in the The Arctic The expansion of sea ice to the lowest value for a February and eight percent below the long -term average.

• In the Antarctic The sea ice surface Kromp until the fourth lowest February and was 26 percent below average. This region, in which summer ends, reaches the absolute annual minimum, but usually only in March.

• February was also worldwide February third heat -It was 0.63 degrees warmer than average from 1991 to 2020. Moreover, it was 1.59 degrees above the estimated middle temperature in the period from 1850 to 1900. According to Copernicus, 19 of the last 20 months were more than 1.5 degrees above this pre-industrial period.

• In Europe The average temperature above the land surface in February was 0.44 degrees. That was 0.40 degrees more than in the average from February from 1991 to 2020, but the ten hottest months of February in Europe do not count.

Glacier loss also in Alps
Often the recently massively accelerating glacier contraction in the Alps is attached to the vast ice loss in the lower areas. But the parts of the upper glaciers also suffer enormously from global warming.

Half to one meter thickness, the ice now decreases in upper areas per year – with the corresponding effects on the rock.

Of course, the eight glacier skills in Austria are particularly affected, which are actually considerable infrastructures at 3000 meters and higher.

Many questions open

• Associations of Tourism now wonder how long in some regions of Austria visitors can advertise with an intact remaining glacier.
• Energy suppliers wonder how much “glacier donation” – especially in the summer season melted ice – can use it to generate electricity.
• Last but not least, it is unclear how flora and fauna colonize the ice -free areas and how and in what quantities the free rock is promoted to the valley.