Markets rocked as US says Israel has struck Iran    Israel carries out strike inside Iran, US says as region braces for further escalation Explosions heard near military base    7,700 commercial disputes resolved via Taradhi platform, says Ministry of Justice    Dhul Qadah 29 is the last day for Umrah pilgrims to leave the Kingdom 90-day duration of visa begins from the date of entering the Kingdom; Hajj Ministry clarifies    'Saudi hospitality sector to generate SR42 billion investments and 120,000 jobs by 2030'    Chinese workers disagree with West over mass production claims    IMF forecast: Saudi economy to record 2nd highest global growth rate in 2025    Centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall unearthed in Historic Jeddah    EU's Josep Borrell warns Middle East 'on edge of regional war'    Indonesia issues tsunami alert after volcano erupts on remote island    US Senate kills the articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas    Poignant shot from Gaza wins World Press Photo of the Year 2024    Al Ain ends Al Hilal's record streak with a 4-2 win in AFC Champions League semi-final    Saudi Pro League postpones Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ahli match; Al-Ahli rejects rescheduling    50% traffic fine reduction takes effect    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Tickets now available for Saudi Arabia's first opera premiering April 25    AFC postpones Al Ain vs Al Hilal semi-final match due to weather conditions    Turki Alalshikh announces groundbreaking 5 vs 5 Riyadh Season bout featuring international boxing stars    Diriyah Biennale Foundation announces shortlist for AlMusalla Prize, set to revolutionize musalla architecture    Fourth Gulf Film Festival kicks off in Riyadh, scaling up Saudi movie industry Event extends over 5 days with the screening of 29 diverse films    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Antarctica 'should not be taken for granted' scientists declare amid extreme weather uptick
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 02 - 04 - 2022

Antarctica, the world's coldest, windiest and driest continent, has often been referred to as a stable 'sleeping giant', but increasingly extreme temperatures, together with unusual rain and ice shelf shifts, remind us that it must not be taken for granted, the UN Weather Agency (WMO) warned on Friday.
During the third week of March, research stations in East Antarctica recorded unprecedented temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius above the month's average.
The Russian station Vostok, in the middle of the Antarctic ice plateau, hit a provisional high of -17.7°C (0.14°F), smashing the previous record of -32.6°C (-26.68°F), while Dome Concordia, an Italian-French research station on top of the Antarctic plateau, 3,233 meters above sea level, experienced its highest ever temperature for any month.
Just a day before, weather stations had recorded rain on the coastal area further upstream, and even temperatures way above 0°C.
"Rainfall is rare in Antarctica but when it occurs, it has consequences on ecosystems — particularly on penguin colonies — and on the ice sheet mass balance.
"Fortunately, there are no longer penguin chicks at this time of the year but the fact that this happens now in March is a reminder of what is at stake in the peripheral regions: wildlife, stability of the ice sheet," French scientists Etienne Vignon and Christoph Genthon told the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Alarm over readings
The experts added that while the warm temperature at Dome Concordia (Dome C) is a source of excitement for climatologists, "rains at the coast in March is a source of concern for everyone".
According to WMO, the warmth and moisture were driven primarily by what's known as an atmospheric river — a narrow band of moisture collected from warm oceans.
Scientists say it is still too soon to say definitively whether climate change is the cause.
One for the record book
"This event is rewriting record books and our expectations about what is possible in Antarctica. Is this simply a freakishly improbable event, or is it a sign of more to come? Right now, no one knows," tweeted Dr. Robert Rohde, Lead Scientist at Berkeley Earth.
The events happened just after Antarctic Sea ice reached its minimum extent after the summer melt, and fell below two million square kilometers (772,000 square miles) for the first time, since satellite records began in 1979.
The Antarctic Peninsula (the northwest tip near to South America) is among the fastest warming regions of the planet, almost 3°C over the last 50 years. Remote East Antarctica, by contrast, has until now been less impacted.
A warning sign
Just ahead of the heatwave, East Antarctica's Conger ice shelf — a floating platform the size of Rome or New York City — broke off the continent on March 15, 2022. Its collapse was caught on satellite and made headlines across the world.
WMO explains that it is too soon to say what triggered the collapse, but that it appears unlikely to have been caused by melting at the surface level. But although is relatively small in size, and unlikely to have any global significance, the collapse of the ice shelf is 'another warning sign'.
"As glaciologists, we see the impact of global warming on Antarctica in increasing ice loss with time. And what happens in Antarctica does not stay in Antarctica...Global warming is making events like this more likely. And as more and more ice shelves around Antarctica collapse, ice loss will increase, and with it global sea levels," a scientific article cited by the agency warns.
It adds that while not everything that happens in nature is due to global warming alone, the collapse of the Conger ice shelf, among others, is the continuation of a "worrying trend".
Less ice, higher sea level
According to the Intergovernmental Panel of Experts on Climate Change (IPCC), both major ice sheets — Greenland and Antarctica — have been losing mass since at least 1990, with the highest loss rate during 2010–2019. They are projected to continue to lose mass.
WMO warns that as a result of the melting of the ice sheets and glaciers, the rate of global sea-level rise has increased since satellite altimeter measurements began in 1993, reached a new record high in 2021.
The Antarctic ice sheet is up to 4.8km thick and contains 90% of the world's freshwater, enough to raise sea level by around 60 meters were it all to melt.
"Recent temperature extremes and ice shelf collapses have reminded us that we shouldn't take Antarctica for granted...Understanding and properly monitoring the continent is therefore crucial for society's future well-being," said Dr. Mike Sparrow, head of the WMO co-sponsored World Climate Research Program. — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.