Shadowfax
Well-known member
While the overall global trend shows a decline in ice, there are specific regions where ice is currently growing or experiencing slower shrinkage, particularly within AntarcticaWhere has that happened?
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Here's a breakdown:
1. East Antarctica:
- Recent Growth: Between 2021 and 2023, the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) surprisingly gained mass, reversing a long-term trend of ice loss, especially in East Antarctica.
- Specific Glaciers: Four major glacier basins in the Wilkes Land–Queen Mary Land (WL-QML) region, including the Totten, Moscow University, Denman, and Vincennes Bay glaciers, showed significant mass gains. These glaciers had been losing ice at an accelerated rate previously, but experienced a rebound due to increased snowfall.
- Overall Trend: While parts of East Antarctica are showing growth, it's important to note that the region has also seen instances of ice loss, like the Totten, Mertz, and Nansen glaciers, which experienced net area loss between 2009 and 2019.
- Variable Extent: Antarctic sea ice extent is highly variable, with periods of growth and decline.
- Long-Term Trend: While some regions experience reductions, the overall long-term trend (since 1979) shows a slight increase in Antarctic sea ice extent.
- Contrast with Arctic: This contrasts sharply with the Arctic, where sea ice extent has significantly declined.
- Recent Lows: Despite the long-term trend, the Antarctic has also seen record low sea ice extents in recent years, including in 2023, raising concerns about a potential regime shift.
- Increased Precipitation: Scientists attribute the recent Antarctic Ice Sheet growth primarily to increased snowfall, which adds mass to the ice sheet.
- Complex Interactions: The factors driving Antarctic sea ice changes are complex, involving interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, and ice itself. Changes in wind patterns, ocean currents, and even the addition of cool freshwater from melting ice shelves can all play a role.
- Variability and Trends: While some regions of Antarctica are currently gaining ice, it's essential to consider both the short-term variability and the long-term trends.
- Global Warming: It's crucial to understand that even with localized ice growth, the broader context is one of global warming, which poses a significant threat to the Antarctic Ice Sheet and its contribution to sea-level rise.
- Further Research: More research is needed to understand the full implications of these changes and their potential impact on the global climate system.