Shipping risks rise as Antarctic ice hits record low

SYDNEY: Sea ice cover in Antarctica dropped to a record low this year, scientists said yesterday, as they warned the frozen continent’s unpredictable nature poses growing risks to shipping, including tourist cruises.

Scientists from around the world are meeting in the Tasmanian capital Hobart this week to discuss sea ice fluctuations and improved navigation and forecasting, as tourists flock to the ocean in greater numbers.

Satellite images confirm the continent’s sea ice fell to its lowest maximum and minimum levels this year since satellite observations began in 1979.

“It appears that both the summertime minimum and the wintertime maximum sea ice extent in Antarctica have set new record lows,” said Jan Lieser from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, which is hosting the conference.

While climate change might have played a part, he said it was still too early to draw any clear link, “simply because the variability in the Antarctic sea ice system is so high”.

“We still have a lot more work to do to understand the fundamental oceanic and atmospheric processes driving sea ice variability in Antarctica,” Lieser said.

The data showed the lowest recorded minimum sea ice cover on March 1 at 2.075 million sq km, with the lowest maximum on Sept 12 at 18.013 million sq km.

But only three years ago, ice levels hit a record high of more than 20 million sq km, illustrating the huge challenges sea traffic must deal with.

Lieser said the extreme swings made it vital to better understand ocean conditions to make credible forecasts for polar shipping.

As well as resupply ships, some 50 cruise vessels carried almost 35,000 tourists to Antarctica last year to witness its ice shelves, soaring glaciers and wildlife. AFP