Experts call for action, Antarctic sea ice area reaches a 45 year low depth | area | Antarctica
According to a report by CNN on July 30th, the area of Antarctic sea ice is currently at its lowest level since records began 45 years ago. Compared to the average of the previous 30 years, its melting area is approximately equal to the entire land area of Argentina.
The report states that at the end of February each year, which is the summer season on the Antarctic continent, the Antarctic sea ice area will shrink to its lowest point. Sea ice will re form in winter. But scientists have found that this situation has changed now. According to data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the United States, the sea ice area in mid July 2023 was about 1.6 million square kilometers lower than the historical winter low set in 2022, and 2.6 million square kilometers lower than the average level from 1981 to 2010. This number is almost equivalent to the total land area of Argentina.
![Experts call for action, Antarctic sea ice area reaches a 45 year low depth | area | Antarctica](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/70a957cb60b887c74a15c48abd25f3c5.jpg)
Due to their ability to reflect solar radiation, sea ice plays an important role in regulating temperature. Experts are concerned that large-scale melting of sea ice will have obvious negative impacts.
Richard Levi, a meteorologist at Victoria University in Wellington: The more white the Earth's surface is covered, the more sunlight is reflected into space. So if we lose sea ice, the Earth will have to absorb more heat, which means the temperature will rise even more.
![Experts call for action, Antarctic sea ice area reaches a 45 year low depth | area | Antarctica](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/e870c18c265895b884a27edeba2fc160.jpg)
The melting of sea ice is just the beginning, followed by the ice shelf and the entire ice sheet of Antarctica, ultimately resulting in a significant rise in sea levels.
Tim Nash, a meteorologist at Victoria University in Wellington: The question people are asking now is whether sea ice can return to its past, or whether it has initiated some irreversible process.
![Experts call for action, Antarctic sea ice area reaches a 45 year low depth | area | Antarctica](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/a0f81a63093932112913a66bfd91c447.jpg)
Currently, scientists are still exploring the reasons for the reduction of Antarctic sea ice. Over the past few decades, the changes in Antarctic sea ice area have been very irregular, constantly fluctuating between high and low points. But since 2016, the Antarctic sea ice area has shown a sharp decrease trend. Scientists believe that although natural climate change can have an impact on Antarctic sea ice, human induced climate change may still be the main cause of sea ice disappearance.
Tim Nash, a meteorologist at Victoria University in Wellington: We need to take deep, rapid, and immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
![Experts call for action, Antarctic sea ice area reaches a 45 year low depth | area | Antarctica](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/ef445264f217eca9ef1f51c955b3f339.jpg)