‘Completely unexpected’: Antarctic sea ice may be in terminal decline due to rising Southern Ocean salinity
Scientists once thought Antarctica might hold onto its sea ice as the world warmed. No longer.
June 30, 2025 • ~7 min
Scientists once thought Antarctica might hold onto its sea ice as the world warmed. No longer.
Rapid changes underway in the Arctic affect the region’s people and wildlife, and the entire planet.
These powerful ‘rivers in the sky’ provide a huge share of annual precipitation in many regions, including California. They can also melt sea ice, with global climate implications.
As a record-hot summer comes to a close, an atmospheric scientist explains how global warming drove long periods of extreme heat.
In some of the most remote places on Earth, tags attached to seals collect data at the cutting edge of ocean science.
The early heat melted snow and warmed rivers, heating up the land and downstream ocean areas. The effects harmed salmon fisheries, melted sea ice and fueled widespread fires.
Sea ice extent in July 2023 has been around 10% below last year’s record low for the month.
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