Since September, the winter polar night has been steadily moving south in the Arctic. However, the increase in sea ice has not kept pace.
Significantly warmer than average temperatures during October inhibited the growth of ice floes. As it turned out, the fourth edition took place in October The amount of Arctic sea ice covered in that month was the lowest in the 46 years of records dating back to 1979. latest analysis According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
In this animation of images acquired by the NOAA-20 satellite from September 4 to November 7, an expanding black circle shows the extent of polar night at the North Pole. The view looks straight down to the central North Pole. Each frame of the animation covers two days, and the black circles show that the area without sunlight grows as the winter progresses. (Credit: NASA Worldview)
An average of 31,000 square miles of sea ice is lost in the Arctic every October, including last month, according to an NSIDC analysis. Given this linear trend, 1.38 million square miles of sea ice has decreased in October since 1979. This is approximately equal to the area. 5 times the size of Texas.
Following a summer that ended with the sixth lowest extent on record, Arctic sea ice growth has slowed relatively since the start of winter. With less ice reflecting sunlight, more areas of the Arctic Ocean are exposed to summer sunlight and can absorb more solar energy. This probably helps limit ice growth in the winter.
“Climate warming in the Arctic continues to lead us down a path of unfortunate change for the planet,” NSIDC researchers said. I wrote recently. It’s all part of what they described as a “new abnormal situation.”
This graph plots the October ice extent by month from 1979 to 2024, showing a 9.5 percent decline per decade. (Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center)
Meanwhile, in Antarctica…
Of course, the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, winter weather prevails in the north, while summer warmth prevails in the south.
Antarctic sea ice likely reached its maximum annual summer extent on September 19th. The maximum value for this year was second lowest Since then, warming temperatures have taken a toll. October ended at the second lowest level of the month.
Why care about the ice floating around the continents at the bottom of the world?Similar to the North Pole, sea ice reflects sunlight back into space. And this helps cool down the planet, which is gradually overheating. As the extent of sea ice decreases, we will be able to do less to help in the face of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
In Antarctica, the sea ice surrounding the continent also supports a huge ice sheet, slowing the flow of glaciers into the ocean. If the buttress collapses, more ice could flow from the land into the ocean, accelerating sea level rise.
new report
50th place will lead next week cryosphere The scientists will present their annual report at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Among other things, the report will address the weakening of the refrigeration effect due to the decline in sea ice at the poles. We also detail the impact and cost of snow and ice loss around the world on the global economy. stay tuned…
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