Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low

[Roger Wilco]

The clock keeps ticking.

"The January 2023 Antarctic sea ice extent hit a record low for January at 1.25 million square miles, which is about 700,000 square miles below the 1991-2020 average. This January’s extent was roughly 210,000 square miles smaller than the previous record low from January 2017."

Assessing the Global Climate in January 2023

In January 2023, the global average temperature was 1.57°F (0.87°C) above average, the seventh warmest on record.

www.ncei.noaa.gov

Antarctic ice hits record low for January: climate monitor

The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice was the lowest on record for January, exposing Earth to even more planet-warming heat, scientists reported Wednesday.

phys.org

 

[brycejones]

Everything is fine, nothing to see here, move along please.

 

[Franz316]

Arctic ice also in awful shape for this time of year. Given the high winter temps we've already seen, this year is going to be a scorcher. Only to be beaten by next year's scorcher. Would hate to be the people born today.

 

[Moonbeam]

Fascism will solve everything. Trump supporters will get air conditioners.

 

[soulcougher73]

"I've done my own research on this, and its no big deal"

 

[dank69]

"I've done my own research on this, and its no big deal"

I have no plans to visit either pole so definitely no big deal.

 

[soundforbjt]

I have no plans to visit either pole so definitely no big deal.

Maybe we’ll end up with only six continents...uniting the earth.

 

[soundforbjt]

Maybe we’ll end up with only six continents...uniting the earth.

Thinking it further, we might lose one of the other six remaining by flooding...Australia I’m looking at you.

 

[hal2kilo]

Hand out john boats to all Miamians.

 

[Jaskalas]

Next time it snows, I'll make a snowball and show it to Congress. Cold is still Cold, no denying that. It's called science, bitches!
Me Ape. Me Smart.
*pounds chest

 

[Franz316]

It's going to be 67 degrees in Cleveland tomorrow... in February. That is insane. Good thing oil and gas companies are seeing record profits or we might have to be worried.

 

[dawp]

Fascism will solve everything. Trump supporters will get air conditioners.

more like swamp coolers

well the see level will need to rise a bit over 200ft to submerge florida's capital of Tallahassee.

 

[MtnMan]

Hand out john boats to all Miamians.

When sea ice melts, it has no effect on sea level. When the ice on land melts and runs into the ocean, then sea level will rise.

 

[SMOGZINN]

When sea ice melts, it has no effect on sea level. When the ice on land melts and runs into the ocean, then sea level will rise.

As far as know that would only be true if the water was evenly distributed across the planet, but it is not. The ice at the poles represents a lot of water sequestered so that it can't move around. Add it back as liquid and the tides will become more extreme. We are already seeing this happening.

 

[Paratus]

When sea ice melts, it has no effect on sea level. When the ice on land melts and runs into the ocean, then sea level will rise.

As far as know that would only be true if the water was evenly distributed across the planet, but it is not. The ice at the poles represents a lot of water sequestered so that it can't move around. Add it back as liquid and the tides will become more extreme. We are already seeing this happening.

Yes and no. Sea level rise occurs due to melting ice from land but also from the thermal expansion of water as it warms.

The biggest issue with floating Antarctica ice is it’s holding back a lot of land ice. If enough melts and breaks off it will allow enough land ice to flow into the ocean to significantly raise sea level. As it warms it will thermally expand making things even worse.

 

[MtnMan]

Yes and no. Sea level rise occurs due to melting ice from land but also from the thermal expansion of water as it warms.

The biggest issue with floating Antarctica ice is it’s holding back a lot of land ice. If enough melts and breaks off it will allow enough land ice to flow into the ocean to significantly raise sea level. As it warms it will thermally expand making things even worse.

Water expands when it freezes, and that's why it floats. Ice floating displaces the exact same amount of water as it contains.

Does your iced tea glass overflow when the ice melts?

 

[MtnMan]

As far as know that would only be true if the water was evenly distributed across the planet, but it is not. The ice at the poles represents a lot of water sequestered so that it can't move around. Add it back as liquid and the tides will become more extreme. We are already seeing this happening.

Ice floating in a body of water displaces exactly the same amount of water that it contains. Ice is less dense than liquid water, thus it floats.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Yes and no. Sea level rise occurs due to melting ice from land but also from the thermal expansion of water as it warms.

The biggest issue with floating Antarctica ice is it’s holding back a lot of land ice. If enough melts and breaks off it will allow enough land ice to flow into the ocean to significantly raise sea level. As it warms it will thermally expand making things even worse.

Sea ice also reflects a lot of sunlight. The absence of ice allows the oceans to absorb more solar energy, thus further contributing to warming.

 

[MtnMan]

Sea ice also reflects a lot of sunlight. The absence of ice allows the oceans to absorb more solar energy, thus further contributing to warming.

I wasn't saying that the melting ice isn't alarming, my point was to those that think that melting sea ice will raise sea level.

 

[fskimospy]

Water expands when it freezes, and that's why it floats. Ice floating displaces the exact same amount of water as it contains.

Does your iced tea glass overflow when the ice melts?

Water also expands as it is heated. And yes, as your iced tea gets warmer it also expands, it’s just that the amount is so small you don’t notice.

https://harris.lagrange-ga.org/utilitydocuments/Water%20Thermal%20Expansion.pdf

 

[Roger Wilco]

I wasn't saying that the melting ice isn't alarming, my point was to those that think that melting sea ice will raise sea level.

As others have said, thermal expansion is a direct result of melting sea ice.

Indirectly, warmer oceans will make a warmer planet, and a warmer planet will melt land ice quicker.

 

[fskimospy]

As others have said, thermal expansion is a direct result of melting sea ice.

Indirectly, warmer oceans will make a warmer planet, and a warmer planet will melt land ice quicker.

It’s as simple as the fact that a given amount of water takes up more space at 51 degrees than it does at 50 degrees.

 

[H T C]

Indirectly, warmer oceans will make a warmer planet, and a warmer planet will melt land ice quicker.

And a warmer planet will lead to the extreme weather events becoming even more extreme, on both ends of the spectrum.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Ice floating in a body of water displaces exactly the same amount of water that it contains. Ice is less dense than liquid water, thus it floats.

I was not talking about displacement, I was talking about tidal movement of water. Ice barely moves at all due to gravitational tides (at least on Earth) water moves a lot. Change a significant volume of solid water to liquid and you get more extreme tides, and thus costal flooding even without any extra displacement.

 

[thilanliyan]

I wasn't saying that the melting ice isn't alarming, my point was to those that think that melting sea ice will raise sea level.

Liquid water expands when heated. It's miniscule in your cup for example, but make it an ocean and it will probably make a difference.