Record low levels of sea ice around Antarctica last year could be linked to climate change, a study has found.
Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) found the continent’s historically low sea-ice levels were a one-in-2,000-year event without climate change – but four times more likely under its effects.
They studied 18 climate models to conclude that the event was “very extreme”.
Rachel Diamond, lead author of the paper published in the Geophysical Research Letters journal, told The National sea ice loss last year was “unprecedented” in the satellite record, which stretches back 45 years.
The team used models to work out how likely the sea-ice loss was and whether climate change made it more likely.
“We found that the 2023 Antarctic sea ice loss was a very rare event. According to the models, we expect to see it less than once-in-2,000 years without climate change.
“We found that strong climate change, in line with what we have been seeing and what we might expect to see in the future without mitigation, increases the chances of the sea ice loss we saw to being a one-in-500-year event.
“One in 500 years is still very rare but the results do suggest that climate change made the 2023 loss more likely.”
She added: "This tells us that the event was very extreme. Anything less than one in 100 is considered exceptionally unlikely."
The study also suggested the record loss could have a lasting impact.
“We found that after such extreme sea ice loss, not all of the sea ice around Antarctica recovers, even after 20 years.
“That tells us that even if we see sea ice beginning to recover over the next few years, it still might on average stay relatively low for decades.”
This would affect penguins, whales and other animals that rely on the ice for their habitat, the researchers said.
Louise Sime, a co-author of the study, said: "The impacts of Antarctic sea ice staying low for over 20 years would be profound, including on local and global weather and on unique Southern Ocean ecosystems, including whales and penguins."
Climate tipping points – in pictures
Antarctica, the world’s fifth largest continent, is about 50 times the size of the UK.
In 2023, Antarctic sea ice reached record-low levels, with more than 2 million square kilometres less ice than usual during winter – about 10 times the size of the UK.
Until 2015, Antarctica's winter sea ice had been growing in size since satellite records began in 1978.
Antarctica's vast expanse of sea ice regulates Earth's temperature, as the white surface reflects the Sun's heat into the atmosphere and cools the water beneath it.
Without it, the planet would be a much hotter place.
Last year a scientific study found that almost half of Antarctica’s ice shelves have shrunk in the past 25 years, suggesting human-induced global warming was a possible cause.
Researchers at the University of Leeds found that 71 of the 162 ice shelves that surround the continent in the Southern Hemisphere reduced in volume from 1997 to 2021, releasing 7.5 trillion tonnes of meltwater into the oceans.
Almost all the ice shelves on the western side of Antarctica, which is exposed to warm water, became smaller, while those on the more protected eastern side stayed the same size or increased in volume, it said.
Ice shelves, which float on the seas surrounding Antarctica, act as giant “plugs” at the end of glaciers, slowing down the flow of ice draining into the oceans.
If they weaken or reduce in size, the rate of ice lost from the glaciers increases.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Points Classification after Stage 1
1. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20
2. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17
3. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus / Team Sky) 15
4. Tony Martin (Germany / Katusha) 13
5. Matteo Trentin (Italy / Quick-Step) 11
6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 10
7. Jos van Emden (Netherlands / LottoNL) 9
8. Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland / Team Sky) 8
9. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 7
10. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data) 6
New schools in Dubai
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
