Antarctic ice infographic (IMAGE)
Caption
Extreme lows in sea ice induce many changes in the physical, ecological, and societal systems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. A: an average sea ice summer. B: an extreme low sea ice summer. In B) fast ice and pack ice have both retreated, ice floes within the pack ice are smaller, the surface albedo has decreased, and the surface ocean has warmed. There is also an increase in precipitation over the ice shelf. The reduction in sea ice has exposed the ice shelf to ocean waves, inducing fractures near the calving front, and leading to increased iceberg calving. There is a transition from sea ice associated productivity in a) to open ocean productivity in b) with a concomitant reduction in krill and silverfish biomass. In b) the seals are forced to seek shelter on smaller ice floes, while much of the landfast ice used by the penguins in a) has disappeared in b). In b) an opportunistic tourist vessel visits a region that was previously inaccessible due to ice cover.
Credit
Doddridge et al.
Usage Restrictions
None
License
Original content