"In March 2022, Antarctica experienced an extraordinary heat wave. Large swathes of East #Antarctica experienced temperatures up to 40°C (72°F) above normal, shattering #temperature records. (To understand the immensity of this, consider that the previous March maximum temperature at this location was -27.6°C (-17.68°F))
So shocking & rare was the event, it blew the minds of the Antarctic #climate science community. A major global research project was launched to unravel the reasons behind it & the damage it caused.
(cont.) "So what are the lessons here? Let's begin with the nice bit. The study was made possible by international collaboration across Antarctica's scientific community, including the open sharing of datasets. This collaboration is a touchstone of the #Antarctic Treaty. It serves as a testament to the significance of peaceful international cooperation and should be celebrated.
Less heartwarmingly, the extraordinary heat wave shows how compounding weather events in the tropics can affect the vast Antarctic ice sheet. The heat wave further reduced the extent of sea ice, which was already at record lows. This loss of sea ice was exacerbated this year resulting in the lowest summer and winter sea ice ever recorded. It shows how disturbances in one year can compound in later years." #climate
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