Many of us have been made aware of the rising sea level and impact that climate change is having on our environment. Not everything is as clear though, and for some mysterious reason, the amount of ice in the Antarctic Sea is rapidly declining. The change in ice levels has experts confused, and there’s no obvious answer for this to be happening.
Being Wiped Out
Satellite analysis has revealed that from 2014 to 2017 there was a significant drop in the amount of sea ice in the Antarctic region. The area is now covered by less snow and ice than it has been for the past 40 years. The Arctic is melting fast, but these declines have far outstripped that level. It’s thought the melting ice caps in the Arctic are due to climate change. Scientists, however, haven’t yet been confident enough to blame it on what’s happening with the Antarctic Sea.
Happened Before
During the 1970s, something similar happened in the region, and it spent the next 40 years recovering. There are hopes that this huge decrease in ice will gradually reverse as it did before, and from 2017 to 2018, there were signs of modest recovery. That hope was short-lived and the levels dropped once again, putting the ice levels at almost record lows.
Why It’s Happening
Experts suggest the decline could be caused by changes in a shift of wind patterns or it’s just a natural variation. Further explanations have been pinned on the hole in the ozone layer and the interchangeable climate caused by El Niño.
The melting ice isn’t contributing to the rising sea level because it’s already in the sea, but it is posing a threat to wildlife that lives there. Animals such as penguins rely on that ice to survive, but it’s disappearing fast.