In February, the frozen area around Antarctica was the smallest on record since records began in 1978. Shrinking surface ice is impacting a year in a row global warming, according to a report from the European climate monitoring body Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), published this Wednesday (08/03) by the European Commission.

On February 16, the ice-covered ocean surface shrank to 2.06 million square kilometers, the smallest area since satellite records began in 1978. The previous record was recorded in February 2022.

Sea ice cover around the icy continent, which shrinks in summer and replenishes in winter, also hit a monthly low, 34% below the February average and breaking the February 2017 record. .

In the Arctic, sea ice cover was also 4% below average, the second lowest value for February since satellite records existed, with the lowest concentrations in the Barents Sea and the Svalbard region.

Impact on global warming

The decrease in the frozen surface of the oceans has an impact on global warming, because around 90% of the solar energy that reaches the sea ice is reflected back into space. When sunlight hits the ocean water rather than the white sheet of ice, a similar percentage is absorbed, which directly contributes to global warming.

The Antarctic sea ice changes considerably throughout the year. It reaches its largest area in September and October, when it exceeds 18 million square kilometers. The minimum areas are always in the months of February.

Hot February in Europe

Copernicus added that 2023 was the fifth-hottest February in the world, with above-average temperatures in places like the eastern United States, northern Russia, Pakistan and India.

However, below average temperatures were also observed in the Iberian Peninsula, Turkey, the western United States, Canada, northeastern Russia and northern Australia.

Winter was the second warmest on record in Europe, with temperatures well above average across Eastern Europe and parts of Northeastern Europe.

as/bl (Efe, AFP)

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