DECRYPTION – The extent of sea ice around Antarctica has fallen by 80% in some areas in 2023. A decline with crucial and sometimes complex repercussions, a study reveals.
The decline of sea ice in Antarctica concerns scientists because the extent of its impact is still poorly understood, whether on ecosystems or on the global climate system. While Antarctica is warming twice as fast as the global average, a team of researchers led by Simon Josey, from the National Oceanography Center in Southampton (England), attempted « to understand how heat exchanges between air and sea evolve in the absence of ice, and to explore the broader implications for the ocean ».
Their work, published Wednesday in the scientific journal Natureare based on analyzes of satellite data and surface atmospheric surveys. They focus on the year 2023 during which the extent of the sea ice in Antarctica experienced a historically low level during the austral winter, a decrease of up to 80% compared to the period 1991-2020 in some areas of the seas…
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