PARIS: The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice has shrunk to a record low, exposing the thicker ice shelves buttressing Antarctica's ground ice sheet to waves and warmer temperatures, scientists reported on Thursday .
The NSIDC said"much of the Antarctic coast" has water that is now without ice,"exposing the ice shelves that fringe the ice sheet to wave action and warmer conditions". But the high melt rate since 2016 raises concerns that a significant downward trend may be taking hold.When white sea ice - which bounces up to 90 per cent of the sun's energy back into space - is replaced by dark, unfrozen sea, the water absorbs a similar percentage of the sun's heat instead.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more: