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The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice was the lowest on record for January, exposing Earth to even more planet-warming heat, according to scientists.
They said less of the Antarctic Sea was covered by ice in January 2023 than in any January ever recorded. They warned that melting sea ice is accelerating global heating.
According to them, January 2023 was also the third warmest January on record in Europe, with temperatures on New Year’s Day reaching all-time highs in some parts of the continent, according to European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) which said analysis of satellite imagery showed Antarctic sea ice coverage was 31% below average last month, significantly lower than the previous January low mark set in 2017.
C3S has reported that at the opposite end of the Earth, Arctic ice coverage was 4% below average and the third-lowest January level observed.
The agency also said last month was the third-warmest January ever recorded in Europe, with above-average air temperatures, including the Balkans and Eastern Europe, prevailing throughout much of the continent.
Europe saw 3rd warmest January on record.
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) February 8, 2023
Antarctic sea ice extent reached its lowest for January.
New Year's Day saw record temperatures in Europe with 0.6°C higher than any previous daily January value in the full #ERA5 data record back to 1940.
More: https://t.co/Tue7z0qSas pic.twitter.com/gOtGFztP73
Melting sea ice
According to scientists, melting sea ice has no discernible impact on sea levels because the ice is already in ocean water. But it is problematic because it helps accelerate global warming.
When White Sea ice, which bounces up to 90% of the Sun’s energy back into space, is replaced by dark, unfrozen sea, the water absorbs a similar percentage of the Sun’s heat instead.
Globally, 2022 was the fifth or sixth warmest on record despite the cooling influence of a natural La Nina weather pattern.
Europe clocked its hottest summer ever, which fuelled deadly droughts and wildfires on the continent.
“While January 2023 is exceptional, these extreme temperatures remain a tangible indication of the effects of a changing climate for many regions and can be understood as an additional warning of future extreme events,” C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess has reportedly said. “It is imperative for global and regional stakeholders to take swift action to mitigate the rise in global temperatures.”
In January, a 600-square-mile iceberg—nearly the size of Greater London—broke off Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf, although scientists said the event was unrelated to climate change. January is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Arctic is warming 4 to 7 times more than the rest of the world. The Antarctic ice shelf melt rates are 20% to 40% higher than predicted. We need more climate ambition, not less.
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) February 8, 2023
There is no time to waste. #ActOnClimate#climate #energy #renewables #GreenNewDeal pic.twitter.com/sfxDg2GnDt
