<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/13/antarcticas-west-coast-missing-an-area-of-sea-ice-the-size-of-france-as-temperatures-peak-20c-above-average>
"Antarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of
France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global
sea levels.
One expert said the loss of ice in the Bellingshausen Sea was “depressing” and
the failure of ice to form could have intensified a heatwave over the
continent’s peninsula last week that saw daytime temperatures peak at 15.4C
which is more than 20C above average.
It’s winter in Antarctica, when sea ice expands rapidly around the continent
peaking in September.
But satellite observations showed the Bellingshausen Sea – on the west side of
the Antarctic peninsula and which by June would usually be covered by ice – was
almost completely ice free.
Scientists said the region was missing about 650,000 sq kilometres (250,000 sq
miles) of sea ice, compared with the average between 1991 and 2020. That is an
area about the size of France and almost 10 times the size of Tasmania.
“I’m concerned. It’s depressing,” said Dr Will Hobbs, an Antarctic sea ice
expert at the University of Tasmania with the Australian Antarctic Program
Partnership.
“It is remarkable that we are in June and there is no sea ice there.”
He said this was the third time in four years that sea ice had been very low in
the region. “I don’t think we will see sea ice there any more. It’s done,” he
said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
