Antarctica is Boiling... Early Summer Weather Even in Midwinter [Why&Next]

Amundsen Station in Midwinter at -61°C
Early Summer Weather 20 Degrees Warmer Than Average
Polar Vortex Weakening Due to Global Warming
"East Antarctic Glaciers Could Completely Melt by Late 21st Century"

An unprecedented heatwave is occurring in Antarctica. Although it is the middle of winter when the sun does not rise, early summer-like weather with temperatures tens of degrees higher than the average is continuing. Scientists have warned that as Antarctica warms due to global warming, ecosystems around the world could be threatened.

According to 'Time and Date,' which provides world time and weather information, the morning temperature at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on the 7th (local time) was recorded at minus 38 degrees Celsius. It seems extremely cold, but this is unusually warm weather for Antarctica. The Amundsen-Scott Station is located just about 100 meters from the South Pole, making it the closest place to the polar region. During the winter months of July and August, the average temperature reaches minus 59 degrees Celsius, and in the mornings and nights, it drops to minus 61 degrees Celsius. This is the time when severe cold should prevail, but the temperature is about 20 degrees higher than usual.

The same is true for Vostok Station, known as the coldest place on Earth. Vostok Station is a Russian Antarctic research station that recorded the lowest temperature ever at minus 89.2 degrees Celsius in 1983. From 2012 to August 2021, the average temperature at Vostok Station was minus 62 degrees Celsius. Even during warmer times, it did not exceed minus 60 degrees. However, the temperature the day before was only between minus 38 and minus 46 degrees Celsius. This is similar to early summer weather at Vostok Station.

The cause of the high temperatures in Antarctica is global warming. In Antarctica, cold low-pressure systems in the stratosphere have been swirling and blocking the inflow of warm air. However, as the Earth's average temperature has risen, the Antarctic vortex has begun to weaken since 1999. As a result, more warm air from the mid-latitudes has flowed into the Ross Sea and Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica, rapidly melting Antarctic sea ice. The disappearance of sea ice, which reflected sunlight and created cold winters, has formed a vicious cycle where temperatures rise even further.

“An unprecedented event”…The Earth is collapsing

This year's Antarctic heatwave is the second highest on record, following March 2022. At that time, the temperature around the French research station Concordia in Antarctica was minus 11.5 degrees Celsius, far exceeding the average temperature of minus 56 degrees. The temperature at Vostok Station was also nearly 17 degrees higher than average. In this regard, the meteorological community issued warnings calling it an 'unprecedented event in the history of climatology.'

Experts have pointed out that high temperatures in Antarctica may occur more frequently. Edward Blanchard Rignot, a professor at the University of Washington, USA, released a report on the Antarctic heatwave last year, stating, “The heatwave that occurred in March 2022 was a global abnormal temperature event,” and explained, “It happened because the temperature in the Antarctic region rose by about 2 degrees due to climate change.” He also expressed concern, saying, “By the end of the 21st century, the temperature in the Antarctic region is expected to rise by 5 to 6 degrees, which could cause the complete melting of the East Antarctic ice sheet due to the heatwave.”

The problem is that the warm weather is rapidly melting the ice in the area. Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) analyzed in Nature last June that warm seawater penetrating the ice could reach a 'tipping point' where sea level rise cannot be stopped. The Antarctic ice sheet accounts for 90% of the Earth's total ice, and if it all melts, the average global sea level would rise by about 45 to 58 meters or more. This means that most low-lying cities and countries would be submerged.

The risk of disruption to the entire Earth's ecosystem is also significant. In the cold Antarctic sea ice, seaweed, which is the food for marine crustaceans called krill, grows. However, as temperatures rise in Antarctica, seaweed is decreasing, and the krill population is sharply declining. Various fish, penguins, and whales that feed on krill could also face threats to their survival. According to the British daily newspaper The Guardian, the British Antarctic Survey stated, “If krill disappear, there will be enormous disruption to the food chain,” and “The reduction in seaweed, which stores carbon in the atmosphere, could accelerate global warming.”