Heatwaves and rapid ice loss are showing up in Antarctica, the Arctic, and Switzerland’s glaciers, with news reports from all three regions pointing to the accelerating impacts of global heating.
Winter maximum sea ice hit a record low in Antarctica September 10, at 16.96 million square kilometres, “adding to scientists’ fears that the impact of climate change at the southern pole is ramping up,” Thomson Reuters reports, citing preliminary data from the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
“It’s not just a record-breaking year, it’s an extreme record-breaking year,” said NSIDC senior scientist Walt Meier.
“Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals, like penguins, who breed and rear their young on the sea ice while also hastening global warming by reducing how much sunlight is reflected by white ice back into space,” the news agency adds.
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