Antarctica is waking up; Warnings to the world from the south!

From sea ice to ocean currents, Antarctica is already undergoing sudden changes, and these changes are likely to intensify. For a long time, Antarctica was considered an unchanging region; But that’s not the case anymore. Floating ice and ice shelves are melting rapidly, ice sheets are approaching critical points, and vital ocean currents are showing signs of slowing. What happens in Antarctica today, from rising sea levels to extreme climate change, will affect the world for generations. (Live Science)

Photographer: Unknown / polar-latitudes.com

Scientists consider abrupt change to be a climate change that happens much faster than expected. What makes these changes worrisome is their ability to exacerbate themselves.

Once the trigger is pulled, it will be difficult or impossible to go back. Although the common perception is that warming is a gradual change, in Antarctica we are seeing something different, and starting about a decade ago, the changes started suddenly.

Photographer: Scott Portelli/Getty Images

Antarctica’s natural systems are highly interconnected, and an imbalance in one has knock-on consequences in others. Sea ice has declined dramatically since 2014 and is melting twice as fast as the Arctic.

These changes are unprecedented. Sea ice has a reflective surface that reflects heat back into space. As the ice shrinks, dark waters absorb more heat. Emperor penguins and other species that depend on the ice for reproduction and survival face serious threats, and ice shelves are exposed to waves.

Photographer: Unknown / world.expeditions.com

Melting ice has slowed the circulation of deep water around Antarctica. This system plays a key role in climate regulation by absorbing carbon dioxide and distributing heat.

Changes here may occur twice as fast as their counterparts in the North Atlantic. This slowness can reduce the absorption of oxygen and nutrients, and this has major implications for marine ecosystems and climate regulation.

Photographer: Unknown / world.expeditions.com

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet and parts of East Antarctica are losing ice at a 6-fold rate compared to the 1990s. The western ice sheet alone can raise the sea level by more than five meters.

Scientists warn that we may be approaching the tipping point. These ice sheets are the biggest factor of “uncertainty” in the predictions. Worldwide, at least 750 million people live in coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels.

Photographer: Danita Delimont/Getty Images

Antarctic biological systems are also undergoing sudden changes. Ecosystems are changing under the influence of factors such as temperature increase and human activities. Conservation through the Antarctic Treaty is vital; But it will not be enough for the survival of emperor penguins and leopard jaws alone, and saving them requires a decisive and global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Photographer: Unknown / www.scenic.com.au

Do you think the world will take the Antarctic warnings seriously or have we passed the “point of no return”? Share your views about the future of the earth and future generations with us and other audiences.

Cover photo source: swoop-antarctica.com, photographer: unknown