The sea ice that covers the ocean around Antarctica reached record low levels this winter, according to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), adding to scientists' concerns that the impact of climate change at the southern pole is intensifying.

Researchers warn that the transition might have disastrous effects for creatures like penguins that breed and rear their young on sea ice, as well as hastening global warming by diminishing the amount of sunlight reflected back into space by white ice.

The NSIDC reported that Antarctic sea ice extent peaked this year on September 10, covering 16.96 million square kilometers (6.55 million square miles), the lowest winter maximum since satellite records began in 1979. This is approximately one million square kilometers less ice than the previous winter record established in 1986.

"It's not just a record-breaking year; it's an extreme record-breaking year," NSIDC senior scientist Walt Meier explained.

The NSIDC stated in a statement that the figures were preliminary and that a comprehensive analysis would be presented next month.

In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are reversed, with sea ice often peaking around September near the end of winter and later receding to its lowest point in February or March as summer comes to a conclusion.

In February, the summer Antarctic sea ice extent also reached a new low, exceeding the previous record in 2022.

Over the last decade, climate change has had a significant impact on the Arctic, with sea ice quickly diminishing as the northern area warms four times faster than the global average.

While climate change is causing glaciers in Antarctica to melt, it is unclear how rising temperatures are affecting sea ice near the southern pole. Scientists are concerned that the recent move toward record-low conditions indicates that climate change is finally manifesting itself in Antarctic sea ice.

While Meier emphasized that it is too early to speculate, an academic article published earlier this month in the journal Communications Earth and Environment mentioned climate change as a possible contributor.

The study discovered that rising ocean temperatures, primarily due by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, are contributing to the recent decline in sea ice levels.

"The key message here is that we really need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to protect these frozen parts of the world that are really important for a whole number of reasons," said Ariaan Purich, a sea ice researcher at Australia's Monash University who co-authored the paper.

(With input from Reuters)

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