Sea ice in Arctic and Antarctic at record lows as scientists point to global warming ‘triple whammy’
Dwindling sea ice means polar bear numbers could drop by a third by mid-century
Both the Arctic and Antarctic experienced record lows in sea ice extent in November, with scientists astonished to see Arctic ice actually retreating at a time when the region enters the cold darkness of winter.
Warm temperatures and winds drove record declines in sea ice at both polar regions in November compared to the 38-year satellite record of ice extent for the month. Arctic sea ice extent averaged 9.08m sq km for November, which is 1.95m sq km below the long-term average from 1981 to 2010 for the month.
It looks like a triple whammy – a warm ocean, a warm atmosphere, and a wind pattern all working against the ice in the Arctic
Scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) said Arctic sea ice extent dipped for a short time in mid-November, an “almost unprecedented” event. Sea ice shrank by around 50,000 sq km in this period, mainly in the Barents Sea.
This decline, which also occurred to a smaller degree in November 2013, removed an area of ice larger than Denmark from the Arctic at a time when sea ice is usually growing.
“It looks like a triple whammy – a warm ocean, a warm atmosphere, and a wind pattern all working against the ice in the Arctic,” said NSIDC director Mark Serreze.
In Antarctica, the average extent of sea ice in November was 14.54m sq km, which is 1.81m sq km below the 1981 to 2010 average. This more than doubles the previous record low for the month of November.
Ted Scambos, the lead scientist at NSIDC, said: “Antarctic sea ice really went down the rabbit hole this time.”