A record-breaking heat wave is unfolding at the coldest time of year in Earth’s coldest place, Antarctica, causing concerns about the future health of the continent and its consequences for millions of people globally. Temperatures have climbed up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal over parts of Antarctica since mid-July, with some areas typically below -58°F now reaching as warm as -13°F to -22°F.
This unprecedented heat wave has raised concerns about catastrophic sea level rise, as most of the planet’s ice is stored in Antarctica and melting could raise average global sea levels by over 150 feet. Even smaller icy features like the Doomsday Glacier could raise sea levels by 10 feet if they were to melt.
Scientists are unsure whether this heat wave is a one-off event or part of a trend, but they agree that it’s an important signal of what could be coming in the longer term under climate change. Heat waves of this magnitude should be rare in Antarctica, but as the planet warms, such events may become more frequent.
The current heat wave hasn’t seen temperature departures reach the level of 2022, but its expansiveness and longevity are concerning. A breakdown of the southern polar vortex is responsible for the ongoing heat wave, which is expected to occur once every two decades on average.
At the same time, multiple surges of warm air from the southwestern Indian Ocean pushed over East Antarctica, making it an unusually warm event. This warmth has posed a significant problem to the continent’s crucial ice sheet, with Antarctica losing 280% more ice mass in the 2000s and 2010s than in the 1980s and 1990s.
This heat wave is part of a larger trend, with the South Pole warming more than three times the global average rate from 1989 to 2018. The recent warmth has demonstrated that melting in East Antarctica is becoming equally troubling as West Antarctica’s Thwaites “Doomsday” Glacier.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/03/climate/antarctica-heat-wave-sea-level-rise/index.html