Story perspectives

Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low, Threatening Currents, Penguins

5/9/2026

Summary

Narayanan Reports Ice Decline

Dr. Aditya Narayanan of the University of Southampton reported that Antarctic sea-ice fell to a record 691,000 square miles in 2023, a one-in-3.5-million chance.
He said that stronger westerly winds in 2013 and wind-driven mixing after 2015 lifted warm, salty deep water, melting ice rapidly in East Antarctica.
Researchers warned that the resulting low sea-ice could destabilize ocean currents, reduce heat-carbon storage, and threaten emperor penguin chicks.

Summary

Researchers Model Melt

Researchers mapped the Fimbulisen Ice Shelf and modeled basal channels that trap warm water, raising melt rates tenfold versus smooth ice.
The experiment contrasted smooth and channelled ice-base under cooler and warmer ocean conditions to isolate geometry effects on flow and melting.
Simulations used 50 m grids and WIN-100 (cold) and SUM-30 (warm) climatologies for CDW inflow strengths.
A Wilcoxon test found friction-velocity, not thermal, anomalies drive basal melt variability.

1 of 2

Narayanan Reports Ice Decline

Dr. Aditya Narayanan of the University of Southampton reported that Antarctic sea-ice fell to a record 691,000 square miles in 2023, a one-in-3.5-million chance.
He said that stronger westerly winds in 2013 and wind-driven mixing after 2015 lifted warm, salty deep water, melting ice rapidly in East Antarctica.
Researchers warned that the resulting low sea-ice could destabilize ocean currents, reduce heat-carbon storage, and threaten emperor penguin chicks.

1 / 2