Scientists from the University of Exeter have discovered that extreme weather events, including heat waves and ice melt in Antarctica, will almost certainly become more frequent and severe due to climate change. In 2022, this continent recorded a record temperature rise of 38.5 °C for the planet. The research was published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science.
The scientists used a variety of data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites, including the speed of sea ice movement, its thickness, and the rate of melting. They found that ice thickness minimums have been recorded in Antarctica since 2017. And in 2022, a record heat wave was recorded in the eastern part of the mainland: the temperature subsequently rose to 38.5 ° C above the average value. Currently, winter sea ice formation is the lowest in mainland history.
The scientists concluded that Antarctica’s fragile environment could be subject to significant stress and damage in the coming years and decades. Extreme events can also affect biodiversity. For example, high temperatures have been associated with years of low krill abundance, leading to impaired predator reproduction, as evidenced by the many dead fur seal pups on beaches.
The authors of the analysis warn that reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero is the best way to fight for Antarctica’s conservation. It is not known whether global warming can be limited to the 1.5 °C target of the Paris Agreement.
“Countries must understand that the discovery, extraction and burning of fossil fuels anywhere in the world will have even greater environmental impacts in Antarctica, which is contrary to their promises,” the scientists said.
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