News Release 8-May-2026
Antarctica sea ice collapse driven by triple whammy of climate chaos, scientists find
Peer-Reviewed Publication
University of Southampton

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The study led by the University of Southampton shows that a series of compounding events flipped the Southern Ocean – which surrounds Antarctica – out of balance, dragging unusually warm, salty water from the deep up to the surface.

It was so extreme, said lead author Dr Aditya Narayanan, that it wiped out vast areas of ice equivalent to the size of Greenland, leading to record-breaking lows in 2023.

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“What started as a slow build-up of deep-sea heat under the Antarctic sea ice was followed by a violent mixing of water, ending in a vicious cycle where it’s too warm to let ice recover.

“It’s concerning because massive loss of sea ice destabilises the world’s ocean current systems, warming our planet far quicker than expected.”

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