Another indication of global warming was the fact that the amount of ice remaining in the Arctic at the time of the winter maximum turned out to be the smallest in the entire history of observations.
The ice sheet in the Arctic grows during the winter months and reaches its largest size in early March. This figure for 2017 amounted to 14.4 million km 2 and was the lowest in 38 years of satellite observations
NSIDC Director: "I've been monitoring the weather in the Arctic for 35 years and have never seen anything close to what we've seen in the last two winters." 2017 was already the third consecutive record holder for the minimum winter indicator.
Another record confirming the ongoing climate change was also set in the southern hemisphere : on March 3, the amount of ice in the Southern Ocean (i.e. the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans surrounding Antarctica) fell to its minimum of 2.1 million km2 . However, scientists warn that the amount of Antarctic sea ice can vary significantly from year to year.
In a statement earlier this week, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that the record heat wave that made 2016 the warmest year on record has continued into 2017 , "taking the planet into uncharted territory."
See also anekdotig:
- Newsletter: " Canada's Climate Change Policy Through the Eyes of Environmental Scientists " (December 1, 2016)
- Newsletter: " Pope Francis proposes adding environmental awareness to the Seven Acts of Mercy " (September 5, 2016)
- Newsletter: " Outcomes of the UN Conference (COP21) in Paris on Climate Change " (December 18, 2015)
- News: " 2015 and 2016 will be the warmest years in the history of the Planet " (September 22, 2015)