Explained: Why is Antarctica experiencing extremely high temperatures recently?
Eastern Antarctica has seen unusually warm weather recently, with temperatures more than 30 degrees Celsius above average, according to experts. At the same time, temperatures near the North Pole soared to 30 degrees Celsius above normal, breaking records in Norway and bringing exceptionally warm temperatures to Greenland and the Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land.
According to the Associated Press, the Antarctic continent as a whole was around 4.8 degrees warmer on March 18 than it was between 1979 and 2000. The Arctic as a whole was 3.3 degrees warmer than the 1979 to 2000 average on the same day. Normally, temperatures drop with the end of the southern summer, but the Dumont d'Urville station in Antarctica set a new record for March with 4.9 degrees Celsius (40.82 degrees Fahrenheit), at a time when temperatures are already sub-zero.
What do the experts say about the rising temperatures?
As per Etienne Kapikian, a meteorologist from France-Meteo, the Concordia research facility in Dome C of the Antarctic, which is at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet), set a new record of -11.5 degrees Celsius (11.3 degrees Fahrenheit) on March 18. Researchers have been surprised by unusually high temperatures in both Antarctica and the Arctic in recent days, warning that extremes will become more prevalent as a result of the climate change.
The exceptionally mild weather was termed as a ‘historic event’ by Gaetan Heymes of France Meteo. He has been quoted saying, "And there it is, Concordia broke its all-time record temperature by 1.5°C," geoscientist Jonathan Wille remarked on Twitter. “Since the summer solstice in December, this is when temperatures should be rapidly falling. This is a Pacific Northwest 2021 heat wave kind of event.” .
When were the rising temperatures reported first?
The record temperatures came after the National Snow and Ice Data Center in United States reported in late February that Antarctica's sea ice has shrunk below two million square kilometres (772,204 square miles) for the first time since 1979. The poles are particularly affected, with Arctic Sea ice shrinking by an average of 13% every decade since 1979, according to a media report.
Why are the temperatures rising in polar regions?
According to media reports, strong winds from Australia have been contributing to the extreme temperatures in Antarctica. The moist air has trapped heat over the Australian continent, resulting in the warm surface temperatures. In other words, temperatures over East Antarctica reached 47 degrees Celsius, or 85 degrees Fahrenheit above usual, thanks to a strong inflow of warm winds from Australia. This unusually mild weather is shattering temperature records in the world's coldest spots.
What are the consequences of this rising temperature?
Such an occurrence is an example of atmospheric warming above the ice shelves. Ice shelves are ice sheets that float on the ocean's surface. They serve a crucial role in preventing inland ice from forming. As ice melts, a larger area of dark ocean water is exposed, resulting in more absorption of the sun's radiation, which leads to further warming.