Meteorologists at Vernadsky have recorded a new climate anomaly.
This year, the seawater temperature in the area of our station has never dropped below the freezing point, that is, -1.8°C (we remind you that salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water).
This happened for the first time since seawater temperature observations began at Vernadsky in 2002.
In 2024 and 2023, the number of days when the temperature dropped below -1.8°C was minimal — 4 and 10, respectively.
“This is probably another confirmation of warming in our region of Antarctica. After all, over the past decade, the number of such days has only once exceeded 40, while in the previous decade it reached 148,” explained Denys Pishniak, head of the NASC Department of Atmospheric Physics and Geospace.
Our polar explorers can see the impact of this trend on nature with the naked eye.
During the current Antarctic winter (when it’s summer in Ukraine), no permanent ice has formed around the Argentine Islands, where Vernadsky is located. So, the water area was open to boating for almost the entire year.
A similar situation was observed in several previous winters, although it almost never happened before the early 2020s.
Moreover, since the beginning of Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions, the 7 km distance between our Galindez Island and the coast of Antarctica could be covered on skis in winter, just crossing the frozen Penola Strait. Now this is impossible. And it was in 2019 when our polar explorers the last time recorded sufficient ice thickness to cross Penola Strait.
Previously, the permanent ice cover around Galindez was formed by the freezing of drifting iceberg fragments, drifting multi-year and first-year ice, and local ice cover. The prolonged frost and cold water “cemented” all this into a surface suitable for movement across the entire visible water area.
In recent decades, permanent cover has become increasingly sparse and fragmented.
This year, new ice was found locally between our and neighboring islands and it lasts not long.
However, this isn’t typical for the ocean, as narrow straits tend to collect desalinated water, which freezes faster.
As a reminder, sea ice is a vital part of the Antarctic ecosystem. In particular, it is closely linked to the lives of many animals.
Photo: Yurii Shovkaliuk
