Sea ice twice the size of Rajasthan goes missing from Antarctica in winter

We last reported that Antarctica is seeing temperatures that are 20 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of year. Now, another report citing satellite imagery has found a notable ice gap on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Winter in the southernmost continent runs from March to October, when floating sea ice grows around it. However, satellite images show that nearly 650,000 square kilometres of sea ice is yet to form as compared to the average amount of sea ice between 1991 and 2020. This ice gap is twice the size of the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Will Hobbs, a sea ice-ocean interaction scientist at the University of Tasmania, has raised concern, stating that this is the third time in four years when the ice has been this low. He told The Guardian that it is highly unlikely that the ice will return. "I don't think we will see sea ice there any more. It's done."

Three record lows have been recorded in the past decade, with the first one in 2016, then in 2022 and in 2023. However, Hobbs thinks that it is not clear if the ice loss is linked to global warming, and it is possible that changes in the ocean were a factor. But one fact remains that Antarctica has been losing a huge amount of ice. Experts say that it has become a pattern. "It's not good news. A warming world is going to have less sea ice," Edward Doddridge, a physical oceanographer at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Australia, told ABC News.

Also Read: Antarctica feels the heat in June as temperature soars 20 degrees Celsius above normal

The absence of sea ice triggers a dangerous domino effect. This vital ice is more than just a habitat for penguins and krill; it is a global climate regulator. It shields the ocean from sunlight, protects glacier-blocking ice shelves, and powers the critical ocean currents that are important to keep our planet's climate stable.

Also Read: Ice shelf the size of Indian capital city Delhi will detach from 'Doomsday Glacier' in 2026

Doomsday Glacier to lose its ice shelf in 2026

A previous report in May warned that the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Doomsday Glacier, will lose its ice shelf this year. Ice shelves float in the ocean while glaciers are attached to the ground. Robert Larter, a marine geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey, confirmed that this event will most definitely happen, and 2026 is the year it could unfold. A study in March this year also stated that Thwaites will lose 180 billion to 200 billion tons of ice per year by 2067.

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Heatwave grips Antarctica

On June 6, Antarctica felt the heat from the environment as temperatures soared as high as 15.4 degrees Celsius. This is about 20 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of the year, according to a climate professor at the University of Groningen, Raúl Cordero. The year 2026 has witnessed the onset of a Super El Niño, which could bring droughts and floods to different parts of the world.