2023&apos;s Antarctic sea ice extent is the lowest on record

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Abstract

Antarctic sea ice is a vitally important part of the regional and global climate. In 2023, sea ice extent fell to record lows, reaching unprecedented values for both the summer minimum, winter maximum and intervening freeze‐up period. Here, we show that the extreme values observed were truly remarkable within the context of the satellite record, despite the challenge of quantifying how rare such an event might be, and discuss some contributing factors. While this could be part of a decline in sea ice associated with human‐caused climate change, it is too early to say conclusively if this is the case.

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The Influence of the Amundsen–Bellingshausen Seas Low on the Climate of West Antarctica and Its Representation in Coupled Climate Model Simulations

John Turner, Tony Phillips, Gareth Marshall … (2013)

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A 40-y record reveals gradual Antarctic sea ice increases followed by decreases at rates far exceeding the rates seen in the Arctic

Claire Parkinson (2019)

Significance A newly completed 40-y record of satellite observations is used to quantify changes in Antarctic sea ice coverage since the late 1970s. Sea ice spreads over vast areas and has major impacts on the rest of the climate system, reflecting solar radiation and restricting ocean/atmosphere exchanges. The satellite record reveals that a gradual, decades-long overall increase in Antarctic sea ice extents reversed in 2014, with subsequent rates of decrease in 2014–2017 far exceeding the more widely publicized decay rates experienced in the Arctic. The rapid decreases reduced the Antarctic sea ice extents to their lowest values in the 40-y record, both on a yearly average basis (record low in 2017) and on a monthly basis (record low in February 2017).