Antarctica’s winter sea ice has peaked at its third-lowest level on record, confirmed by scientists. The peak, reached on 14 September, measured 17.59m square kilometres, which is approximately a million square kilometres less than the long-term average.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that the continent has experienced one of its lowest sea ice levels on record. Satellite observations of Antarctic sea ice have been ongoing since 1979.
Dr. Ariaan Purich, a Southern Ocean expert at Monash University, stated that this is no longer a one-off event and suggests the sea ice is behaving differently due to a warmed climate. Dr. Phil Reid of Australia's Bureau of Meteorology noted that while El Niño may contribute to changes in storm systems affecting sea ice, thermodynamics ultimately dictate that warmer water leads to less sea ice.
The loss of sea ice does not directly affect sea levels as it is already floating. However, it can expose ice shelves to ocean extremes, potentially weakening them. Ice shelves play a role in slowing the advance of glaciers and the continent's vast ice sheet, which could raise global sea levels if it reaches the ocean.