Is Antarctic sea ice decreasing?
Sea ice in the Arctic has decreased dramatically since the late 1970s, particularly in summer and autumn. However, after 2014, Antarctic ice extent began to decline, reaching a record low (within the 40 years of satellite data) in 2017, and remaining low in the following two years.
How reversible is sea ice loss?
Abstract. It is well accepted that increasing atmospheric CO2 results in global warming, leading to a decline in polar sea ice area. We find no irreversible behaviour in the sea ice cover.
What lies beneath the ice of Antarctica?
Several years ago, geologists studying satellite imagery of the remote Princess Elizabeth Land in East Antarctica discovered evidence of a massive subglacial canyon system buried beneath the ice.
Would a polar bear survive in Antarctica?
Polar bears live in the Arctic, but not Antarctica. Down south in Antarctica you’ll find penguins, seals, whales and all kinds of seabirds, but never polar bears. Even though the north and south polar regions both have lots of snow and ice, polar bears stick to the north. Polar bears don’t live in Antarctica.
How deep is the ice on Antarctica?
At its thickest point the ice sheet is 4,776 meters deep. It averages 2,160 meters thick, making Antarctica the highest continent. This ice is 90 percent of all the world’s ice and 70 percent of all the world’s fresh water.
How much is the Arctic sea ice declining?
September Arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 12.8 percent per decade, relative to the 1981 to 2010 average. This graph shows the average monthly Arctic sea ice extent each September since 1979, derived from satellite observations.
What was maximum extent of Arctic sea ice in 2021?
This was the second-lowest extent in the 40+-year satellite record. The 2021 maximum extent was 5.70 million square miles (14.77 million square kilometers), reached on March 21, 2021. This was tied for seventh-lowest in the satellite record.
What is the current state of sea ice?
A satellite-based data record starting in late 1978 shows that indeed rapid changes have been occurring in the Arctic, where the ice coverage has been declining at a substantial rate. In contrast, in the Antarctic the sea ice coverage has been increasing although at a lesser rate than the decreases in the Arctic.
Which is the lowest year for sea ice?
The 2012 sea ice extent is the lowest in the satellite record. Data source: Satellite observations. Credit: NSIDC /NASA Data source: Satellite observations. loading time series images…