Another extreme low for Antarctic sea ice signals a permanent shift

By James Dinneen – New Scientist

An area of missing Antarctic sea ice twice the size of Texas adds to concerns that the ice has seen a lasting “regime shift”, with consequences for ecosystems and global ocean circulation.

For the second year in a row, Antarctic sea ice has reached near-record low levels. This reinforces concerns that human-caused climate change has initiated a lasting “regime shift” in the amount of ice that forms in the Southern Ocean each year.