A world record temperature jump was recorded in Antarctica

A “sharp critical transition” took place in the climate of Antarctica.

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On March 18, 2022, the largest jump in air temperature that scientists have ever recorded on Earth took place. On the East Antarctic Plateau, the temperature was 38.5°C higher than the average seasonal value.

This world record was recorded by the Concordia research station, according to the scientific paper, published in Journal of Climate, writes The Guardian. Scientists say that the unprecedented jump in the coldest place on Earth is a harbinger of disaster for people and the local ecosystem.

Scientists say that winds from the poles, which previously did not penetrate much of the atmosphere over Antarctica, now carry a lot of warm, moist air from lower latitudes, particularly Australia. This caused a record jump near the Concordia station, which is located deep in Antarctica.

“It’s just amazing. In sub-zero temperatures, such a huge jump can be tolerated, but if the temperature in the UK were to rise to 40°C now, it would exceed 50°C on a spring day. It would be fatal for the population.” – says Professor Michael Meredith, Scientific Director of the British Antarctic Survey.

Over the past two years, scientists have increasingly observed meteorological anomalies on the continent: glaciers have been losing mass faster, and the level of sea ice around the continent has dropped sharply.

These developments have raised concerns that Antarctica, once considered too cold to feel the early effects of global warming, is now experiencing a sharp and rapid increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

Researchers believe that a “sharp critical transition” has occurred in the climate of Antarctica, which may have consequences for the continent’s ecosystems and the global climate system.

Among the threats are the flooding of coastal areas, the destruction of food chains, the extinction of animals, and the strengthening of global warming.

“The reason for these environmental and meteorological changes is hidden beyond the borders of the continent. They are caused by the fact that the world continues to emit a huge amount of carbon dioxide,” – summarizes Professor Martin Siegert from the University of Exeter.

We will remind Asia was shaken by an unprecedented abnormal heat – in early April, the air temperature there reached 42°C.