Direct Hit from Global Warming... Antarctic Temperature Jumps 38.5 Degrees Above Average

The temperature in Antarctica, the coldest region on Earth, was once recorded to have risen 38.5 degrees above the seasonal average. As Antarctica faces the direct impact of global warming, krill populations are declining, and emperor penguins are struggling to reproduce. There are growing concerns that a disaster is looming over the Antarctic ecosystem.

According to the British daily newspaper The Guardian on the 6th (local time), scientists at the Concordia Station in Antarctica confirmed that on March 18, 2022, the temperature in Antarctica was 38.6 degrees higher than the seasonal average. This unprecedented temperature increase shocked the scientists who confirmed the fact.

Professor Michael Meredith, who leads the British Antarctic Survey, said, "Such a tremendous (temperature) surge might be bearable in subzero temperatures, but if the temperature in the UK rose by 40 degrees, spring temperatures would exceed 50 degrees, which would be fatal to humans."

Scientists have identified causes for this temperature rise but have not yet understood the ultimate background of the phenomenon. They only speculate that it is related to warm and humid air from low-latitude regions deeply penetrating the upper atmosphere over Antarctica.

According to the scientific community, the reason the Arctic and Antarctic suffer greater damage than other regions is that the warmed ocean melts sea ice. The ocean, previously hidden under ice and deprived of sunlight, becomes exposed, preventing solar radiation from reflecting back into space, which causes the ocean to heat up further.

As glaciers shrink, significant sea level rise is expected within decades, and the Antarctic ecosystem is also projected to undergo rapid changes.

Professor Kate Hendry of the British Antarctic Survey explained that as algae (aquatic plants) begin to disappear in Antarctica, krill, which serve as food for fish, penguins, seals, and whales, are also declining. The extinction of krill could lead to the collapse of the Antarctic food chain and accelerate global warming.

Emperor penguins, which inhabit only Antarctica, are reportedly experiencing fatal breeding failures due to the reduction of sea ice. Researchers warn that if the warming trend continues, 90% of emperor penguin habitats will disappear by the end of this century.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.