Antarctica winter sea ice 17.59 million km2 3rd-lowest on record
Antarctica's winter sea ice peaked at only 17.59 million square kilometers this year, the third-lowest ever recorded and 1 million below the usual average.
Scientists are worried, since this is the fourth consecutive year to rank among the four lowest winter maxima on record, showing climate change is hitting hard at the bottom of the world.
Walt Meier cautions over Antarctic ice
Dr. Walt Meier, a senior scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, says the center had held off declaring the maximum because there was "a lot of potential variability" at this stage in the continent's sea ice cycle.
Less ice means more heat gets soaked up by the Southern Ocean, which can take up more heat and expose ice shelves to ocean extremes.
Plus, it puts pressure on wildlife like krill, which rely on sea ice for habitats, and emperor penguins, which rely on sea ice to breed and raise young.