New Scientist
Image: NASA Goddard Photo and Video
Another year, another climate record broken. But don’t let this one wash over you. Arctic sea ice is usually at its most extensive in early March, which marks the end of the Arctic winter – but this year’s winter ice cap is the smallest recorded in almost 40 years of monitoring. The previous record low was set only last year. Around Antarctica, meanwhile, sea ice levels are the second lowest on record.
In February, Arctic sea ice covered about 13.9 million square kilometres. This is 1.74 million square kilometres below the seasonal average recorded between 1981 and 2010.
Global warming is largely to blame for the ice loss. The Arctic has experienced its warmest winter on record, with temperatures far higher than seasonal averages. This has had an impact on the formation of sea ice during the Arctic winter. Read more on newscientist.com…
