"Unprecedented Changes in Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice: Implications for Global Climate"
Antarctic sea ice has been at near-record-low levels for months, with the 2024 minimum extent tying with 2022 for the second-lowest in the 46-year satellite record. The director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) suggests that more warm ocean water reaching the surface may be affecting the sea ice, leading to a potential "new regime" in the Antarctic. Meanwhile, Arctic sea ice reached its maximum extent for the year, peaking at 15.01m square kilometres on 14 March, which was 640,000km2 smaller than the 1981-2010 average maximum. Despite this, the relatively high winter peak is a reminder of the need to account for weather variability when discussing Arctic climate change.