The area of sea ice In the Arctic has been decreasing for 46 years, and near the South Pole it has been fluctuating at the level of a historical minimum for the third year in a row, according to the satellite surveillance data was published by NASA.
In March 2024, the total area of the Arctic Ocean covered in ice reached an annual maximum of 15.65 million square kilometers, which is 640,000 square kilometers less than the average for thirty years of observations since 1981, goarctic.ru reported.
Just a few years ago all the sea ice in Antarctica could occupy an area the size of Yakutia, now it is smaller than the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The seasonal minimum was recorded on February 20, 2024 at 1.99 million square kilometers. This is 30% lower than the average figures recorded at the end of summer in 1981-2010.
The reduction of ice makes the Earth more susceptible to solar heating. On the other hand, the open ocean absorbs solar radiation more easily.
Scientists have also noticed that the sea ice near the poles has become more susceptible to weather than it was ten years ago. In the warmer months, there is less ice left, meaning that every year new ice should be formed from scratch, rather than building up on the old ice.
Researchers expect that in two decades there will be an almost ice-free summer at the Earth's poles.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
