Arctic sea ice extent in June was second lowest on record; the lowest was recorded in June 2016. Satellite observations of Antarctic sea ice coverage since the late 1970s have revealed that after a gradual increase in the Antarctic sea ice over decades until 2014, the trend suddenly reversed completely in the 2014- 2017 period. During 2014-2017, the rate of sea ice loss in the Antarctic far exceeded those recorded for the Arctic. “While the recent decline is noteworthy, trends in Antarctic sea ice extent over the continuous satellite record since late 1978 remain slightly positive,” it said. “Arctic warming and attendant sea ice decline have far reaching consequences for the climate of the Northern Hemisphere.

Source: Hindustan Times July 04, 2019 17:37 UTC