The Australian Antarctic Division said the latest satellite data showed only a total 2.15 million square kilometers surrounding the icy continent during the lowest point in February during the summer season, the second-lowest on record.
The minimum record was set in March 2017, when a summertime reading of 2.07 million square kilometers was recorded.
Bureau of Meteorology Antarctic scientist Phil Reid said the variations were a “significant departure” from the overall increasing trend in Antarctic sea ice of about 1.7% each decade since 1979.
AAD scientist Rob Massom said researchers were still trying to determine what was driving the changes and the variability in the sea ice cover and said understanding the processes was a “high priority”.
“The ice cover plays a crucially important role both in the global climate system and as a key habitat for a wide range of biota from micro-organisms to great whales,” he added in a statement.
“Sea ice conditions also have a major impact on shipping and logistical operations in the Southern Ocean.”
Read more here.
Source: The Daily Star, 2 March 2018