Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Increases due to Ozone Hole
21.04.2009 - Atmosphere & Space, Ice & Snow, Other, Antarctic
New research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters reports that the increased extent of Antarctic sea ice is a result of the ozone hole delaying the impacts of worldwide greenhouse gas increases.
Using satellite images and computer models, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and NASA have shown that the Antarctic sea ice extent has increased by 100,000 square kilometres per decade since the 1970s. Whereas sea ice is being lostin the western part of the Antarctic Peninsula (temperature has increased by 3°C over the past 50 years), sea ice cover isby contrastincreasingthe most inWest Antarctica.
Scientists explain this sea ice increase by the fact that the ozone hole has strengthened surface winds around Antarctica and deepened storms in the South Pacific area of the Southern Ocean. The result is an increased flow of cold air over the Ross Sea and an increased production of sea ice in West Antarctica.
"Although the ozone hole is in many ways holding back the effects of greenhouse gas increases on the Antarctic, this will not last, as we expect ozone levels to recover by the end of the 21st Century. By then there is likely to be around one third less Antarctic sea ice," explains lead author Professor John Turner of BAS.
