Arctic Sea Ice Near Historic Low; Antarctic Ice Continues Decline – NASA

Arctic Sea Ice Retreats to Near-Historic Lows, Highlighting the Urgency of Sustainable Development Goals

Arctic sea ice retreated to near-historic lows in the Northern Hemisphere this summer, likely melting to its minimum extent for the year on Sept.11, 2024, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The decline continues the decades-long trend of shrinking and thinning ice cover in the Arctic Ocean.

Impacts on Sustainable Development Goals

Tracking sea ice changes in real time has revealed wide-ranging impacts, from losses and changes in polar wildlife habitat to impacts on local communities in the Arctic and international trade routes.

Arctic Sea Ice Extent

This year, Arctic sea ice shrank to a minimal extent of 1.65 million square miles (4.28 million square kilometers). That’s about 750,000 square miles (1.94 million square kilometers) below the 1981 to 2010 end-of-summer average of 2.4 million square miles (6.22 million square kilometers). The difference in ice cover spans an area larger than the state of Alaska. Sea ice extent is defined as the total area of the ocean with at least 15% ice concentration.

Trends and Observations

This year’s minimum remained above the all-time low of 1.31 million square miles (3.39 million square kilometers) set in September 2012. While sea ice coverage can fluctuate from year to year, it has trended downward since the start of the satellite record for ice in the late 1970s. Since then, the loss of sea ice has been about 30,000 square miles (77,800 square kilometers) per year, according to NSIDC.

Measurement and Data Collection

Scientists currently measure sea ice extent using data from passive microwave sensors aboard satellites in the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, with additional historical data from the Nimbus-7 satellite, jointly operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Youth and Vulnerability of Arctic Sea Ice

Sea ice is not only shrinking, it’s getting younger, noted Nathan Kurtz, lab chief of NASA’s Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Today, the overwhelming majority of ice in the Arctic Ocean is thinner, first-year ice, which is less able to survive the warmer months. There is far, far less ice that is three years or older now,” Kurtz said.

Antarctic Sea Ice

Sea ice in the southern polar regions of the planet was also low in 2024. Around Antarctica, scientists are tracking near record-low sea ice at a time when it should have been growing extensively during the Southern Hemisphere’s darkest and coldest months. The meager growth so far in 2024 prolongs a recent downward trend. Prior to 2014, sea ice in the Antarctic was increasing slightly by about 1% per decade. Following a spike in 2014, ice growth has fallen dramatically. Scientists are working to understand the cause of this reversal. The recurring loss hints at a long-term shift in conditions in the Southern Ocean, likely resulting from global climate change.

Ice-Albedo Feedback

In both the Arctic and Antarctic, ice loss compounds ice loss. This is due to the fact that while bright sea ice reflects most of the Sun’s energy back to space, open ocean water absorbs 90% of it. With more of the ocean exposed to sunlight, water temperatures rise, further delaying sea ice growth. This cycle of reinforced warming is called ice-albedo feedback.

Conclusion

The retreat of Arctic sea ice to near-historic lows highlights the urgent need to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 13: Climate Action. The loss of sea ice not only impacts the environment and wildlife, but also has significant implications for local communities and international trade routes. It is crucial that global efforts are intensified to mitigate climate change and protect our planet’s fragile ecosystems.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article:

• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 15: Life on Land

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Based on the Article’s Content:

• SDG 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
• SDG 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
• SDG 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article to Measure Progress Towards the Identified Targets:

• Indicator for SDG 13.3: Increase in the number of educational programs and initiatives focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Indicator for SDG 14.1: Reduction in marine debris and nutrient pollution levels in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
• Indicator for SDG 15.5: Preservation of natural habitats and prevention of species extinction in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Based on the article, the issues highlighted are connected to SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The specific targets identified are SDG 13.3, SDG 14.1, and SDG 15.5. The indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards these targets are an increase in the number of educational programs and initiatives focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation (SDG 13.3), a reduction in marine debris and nutrient pollution levels in the Arctic and Antarctic regions (SDG 14.1), and the preservation of natural habitats and prevention of species extinction in the Arctic and Antarctic regions (SDG 15.5).

Source: nasa.gov