Antarctic sea ice falls to new record low for winter: Australian scientists

Sydney: The extent of Antarctic sea ice fell to an all-time low for winter earlier in September, according to Australian scientists.

Researchers from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP) and Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Tuesday said that the extent of sea ice in Antarctica reached only 17.0 million square kilometres on September 7.

It marks the lowest level of Antarctic sea ice coverage since satellite records began. The previous winter low of 17.1 million square km was set on the same day in 2023, Xinhua news agency reported.

Researchers said that the long-term normal Antarctic sea ice extent for September 7 is 18.4 million square km.

Will Hobbs, a sea ice researcher from the AAPP, said the new low is an indication that the sea ice system around Antarctica is shifting to a new state.

"While the summer sea ice of 2024 was largely within the 'normal' variability, this winter we've again seen chaotic fluctuations similar to last year, now producing the lowest winter extreme on record," he said in a media release.

"We know that the past two years have been the warmest on record for the planet, with global temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial for extended periods. This global warmth is now reflected in the oceans around the Antarctic, and is likely a major factor in continuing record low sea ice."

Phil Reid from the BoM said that recent studies suggest that lower Antarctic sea ice coverage may lead to an increase in the duration and extent of summer-time wet extremes in Australia and longer dry periods during winter.

The Antarctic winter typically starts in March and lasts until October.