Decreasing sea ice around Antarctica is causing storms to become more common in the Southern Ocean, a new study shows.
Researchers analyzed satellite images and weather data from the region starting in the Antarctic winter of 2023, when sea ice cover reached record depths. That winter, some regions saw 80 percent less ice than would be normal.
Antarctic sea ice cover in September 2023. Ice cover typically peaks in September, at the end of the Antarctic winter. NASA
Scientists found that in parts of the ocean where sea ice was shrinking, storms became more common. The study, published in Natureindicates that as sea ice disappears, the ocean releases more heat into the air, which in turn fuels storms. Some areas saw as many as seven additional days of storms per month, the study found.
“It is still too early to say whether 2023 and its record-breaking sea ice decline will mark the start of a fundamental shift in the extent of Antarctic sea ice,” said lead author Simon Josey of Britain’s National Oceanography Centre. But, he said, it looks like this year will “continue the sharp change of 2023.”
Authors say more research is needed to understand the full impact of shrinking ice. Josey said: “It is critical to understand how increased heat loss and more frequent storms are linked to broader shifts in weather patterns.”
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