Otago Daily Times

Antarctic sea ice shrinks to its secondlowe­st level

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SYDNEY: The sea ice surroundin­g the Antarctic shrank to 2.15 million square kilometres in 2018, the second lowest level on record, the Australian Antarctic Division says.

An AAD statement said the ice sheet reached its lowest point on February 18, but still remained above the 2016 record low of 2.07 million sq km.

‘‘Since reaching its lowest point, the sea ice has since begun its autumnal reformatio­n and expansion around Antarctica,’’ Rob Masson of the AAD said.

Masson said that in addition to Antarctic sea ice playing a crucial role in the global climate system and housing an important habitat for a wide range of microorgan­isms and animals, it also affected shipping and logistical operations in the Antarctic Ocean.

Phil Reid, a scientist from the Antarctic Bureau of Meteorolog­y, said his colleagues around the world had been monitoring Antarctic sea ice through satellites since the 1970s and found it had expanded below the longterm average since August 2016.

‘‘In 2017 the wintertime maximum sea ice extent was the second lowest on record at 18.05 million sq km, following closely on the heels of successive record highs in 2012, 2013 and 2014,’’ Reid said.

Scientists have yet to determine the factors contributi­ng to the change and variabilit­y in the sea ice extent. — EFE

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