Scientists have recorded abnormal warming in Antarctica
The lowest temperature on Earth in the past 14 years was recorded in Antarctica. At the Concordia research station on July 18, temperatures dropped to -84.1 °C, the lowest reading since 2012.
Just a few weeks earlier, another Antarctic station had recorded a record winter high of +15.4 °C.
Thus, the difference between the two extreme temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees.
The Concordia Research Station is located on the Antarctic Plateau at an elevation of over 3,300 meters above sea level and more than 965 kilometers from the nearest coastline.
It was here in 2010 that the lowest temperature in the history of modern observations was recorded: -84.7 °C.
Although station staff are accustomed to working in extreme conditions, they described this year’s cold spell as exceptional.
Just a few weeks earlier, on June 6, the Argentine station “Esperanza,” located on the Trinity Peninsula, recorded a temperature of +15.4 °C, which was the highest winter reading in the history of observations for this region.
For nearly three weeks, temperatures there remained above zero, marking an unprecedented climatic anomaly.
“This is absolutely crazy. It’s about 20 °C above normal for this time of year. It’s a huge anomaly,” said Raúl Cordero, a climatologist at the University of Groningen.
Researchers emphasize that the extreme cold in central Antarctica does not contradict the overall trend of global warming.
The continent continues to lose its ice cover, and the Southern Ocean is gradually warming, which is already affecting local ecosystems, particularly Antarctic krill, penguins, and fur seals.
Scientists also note that the abnormal weather in Antarctica coincided with widespread heat waves, droughts, and wildfires in North America and Europe, which researchers estimate are intensifying due to climate change.
Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, warned that the situation can only get worse.
“2026 is just the beginning. The situation will inevitably worsen. It will get worse and worse and worse, until, I fear, we reach the limits of human adaptation,” he said.
This is according to scientists, as reported by Smithsonian Magazine.
As a reminder, the EU has proven to be completely unprepared for the rapid deterioration of climatic conditions, which threatens the safety of millions of citizens and the integrity of strategic infrastructure.
As a reminder, Ukraine’s climate will eventually become similar to that of Australia.
Additionally, an ice archive has been created in Antarctica for the future of science.
