Record Low Ice at the Poles (TT)

Sea ice at the poles, which helps cool the Earth, is at its lowest levels recorded this time of year, according to new satellite measurements, reports the BBC.

Unusually high temperatures in both the air and the oceans, as well as winds that tear the ice apart, are behind the breakdown of the ice masses.

In the five days to 13 February this year, the ice around the Arctic and Antarctic was measured at 15.76 million square kilometres, according to the BBC’s analysis of data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). This is lower than the previous record low of 15.93 million square kilometres set in February 2023.

Comparable measurements have been made since 1979, according to the BBC.

It is already an established fact that ice at the poles has shrunk drastically. In the 1980s, ice cover averaged 7 million square kilometres at the end of summer (when it is at its lowest), compared to an average of 4.5 million square kilometres in the 2010s.