Dozens of scientists constantly analyze data on melting ice in Antarctica and surrounding waters. One of the teams with the greatest dedication and resources for this type of climate observation is the Met Office (National Meteorological Service of the United Kingdom), which together with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS, a national institution of the United Kingdom that forms part of the Natural Environment Research Council ), form a world leading group in Antarctic studies.
The data from the Met Office and the BAS show that last month was the June with the least floating ice on the coasts of Antarctica and, in general, in the Antarctic or Southern Ocean, since this type of data has been known with the accuracy it offers. observations with satellites, more than four decades ago.
“Sea ice extent around Antarctica is at a record low by the end of June,” the Met Office warned in a June 30 blog post.
The current extent of Antarctic sea ice is more than 1.3 million square kilometers below the next lowest extent on record for the time of year. This deficit is more than five times the area of ??the United Kingdom, indicated this scientific institution using a British comparison. To get a more local idea, it should be remembered that the United Kingdom has an area of ??243,610 km², that is, slightly less than half that of Spain, which has 505,990 km².
The extent of Antarctic sea ice on June 28 was considerably below the average level for this date during 1981-2010, the Met Office indicates, accompanying the figure with a comparative graph of previous years.
Ed Blockley, director of the Met Office’s Polar Climate Group, assesses the situation by offering year-on-year context data: “Antarctic sea ice extent reaches a maximum at the end of September and a minimum at the end of February. By the end of June, sea ice extent should reach a midpoint between maximum and minimum. However, this year the ice is expanding very slowly with the consequence that the extent is well below the long-term average, 1981-2010.”
“The annual minimum extent in February 2023 was the lowest since satellite records began in 1979, just over a million square kilometers below the long-term average. The current extent is extraordinarily low: more than 2.5 million square kilometers below the average for the time of year,” says Ed Blockley.
Researchers around the world are scrambling to understand why Antarctic sea ice extent is not returning at the rate it should. Higher air temperatures and abnormal atmospheric circulation patterns across the continent could be part of the problem.
As winter continues around the Antarctic continent, the average temperature will drop, allowing time for the ice extent to increase further but current data does not show it recovering sufficiently to reach historical average levels.
In an attempt not to lose hope, Ed Blockley has added: “It is too early to speculate if the extent of the ice will remain at extremely low levels. There is still time this season for the ice to recover, but given the record lows we have seen, we should remain concerned about the likelihood of a record winter high.”
