World News for Students of English

02-10-2023 07:00

Antarctica’s sea ice has reached record-low levels this winter, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), raising concerns among scientists about the increasing impact of climate change in the southern polar

region. This trend has potentially dire consequences for animals such as penguins that depend on sea ice for breeding and raising their young. Additionally, it accelerates global warming by reducing the amount of sunlight reflected into space. The NSIDC reported that this year’s Antarctic sea ice extent reached its maximum on September 10, covering 16.96 million square kilometers, the lowest winter maximum since satellite records began in 1979. This is approximately 1 million square kilometers less ice than the previous record set in 1986.

While the Arctic has been experiencing rapid sea ice deterioration due to climate change, the impact on Antarctic sea ice was less certain until recently. Recent record-low conditions have raised concerns that climate change is now affecting Antarctic sea ice. Warming ocean temperatures, largely driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, are believed to be a contributing factor, according to a recent study.

Difficult words: dire (extremely serious or urgent), consequence (a result or effect, typically one that’s unwelcome or unpleasant), deterioration (worsening or decline).

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