Yearly peak sea ice around Antarctica hit record low levels: research

A key indicator of Antarctic sea ice levels has hit a record low, according to preliminary research. 

Antarctica’s peak sea ice level this year, 6.55 million square miles, was the lowest in the 45-year satellite record, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has found.

“It’s not just a record-breaking year, it’s an extreme record-breaking year,” NSIDC senior scientist Walt Meier said, according to NBC News.

The center’s announcement of the finding said that there is “some concern” that this could be the start of a trend in sea ice decline since oceans around the world are warming. 

Since 2016, Antarctica’s sea ice levels have taken a “sharp downturn,” the center said. It also pointed to research that heat is behind the slow growth in recent months. 

It also said that if such a trend continues, more of Antarctica’s coastline will be exposed to ocean waves, which could lead to ice erosion and cause the continent’s ice sheet to destabilize. 

However, this may lead to some ice accumulating near the coast, which could partially offset the threat of rising sea levels, NSIDC said. 

The center noted that its finding is preliminary as changing winds or late-season growth may increase sea ice levels.

More broadly, scientists have warned that global warming is causing melting ice and rising sea levels, which may result in more flooding of coastal regions.