As Australia scorches, sea ice spread around Antarctica hits a record low

A crack in the Larsen C ice shelf
grew 17 kilometres in December.  

As parts of Australia set heatwave records and the government considered building new coal-fired power stations, the vast continent to the south last week quietly marked a milestone.

The spread of sea ice around Antarctica melted to the lowest level recorded.

"It's a new record, and it might actually go a little bit further south yet this summer," said Jan Lieser, a marine glaciologist with the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre in Hobart.

It is the latest in a string of events this summer that has increased global attention on the southern continent, which is home to 90 per cent of the world's ice.

Read Adam Morton’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “As Australia scorches, sea ice spread around Antarctica hits a record low.”