A significant scarcity of data from the expansive Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica is impeding accurate climate crisis forecasts, according to a gathering of 300 scientists. The Southern Ocean plays an outsized role in global climate regulation, absorbing substantial heat and carbon dioxide resulting from human activities. However, as the region undergoes dramatic transformations, including record-low sea ice levels, it is likened to a “data desert.”
During a week-long conference organized by the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), scientists from 25 countries discussed the challenges posed by the scarcity of observations in the Southern Ocean. The concluding statement highlighted “critical changes” in the region, such as record low sea ice levels, exceptionally high temperatures, and significant shifts in penguin populations.
The chronic lack of data presents a challenge to understanding and assessing the consequences of these changes. For instance, the sea ice surrounding Antarctica has reached record-low levels during the past two southern hemisphere summers. Satellite data indicates that this winter, the region has nearly 2.5 million square kilometers less ice than the long-term average, an unprecedented loss that researchers attribute to deficiencies in the observation system.
Dr. Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey, emphasized the importance of data in understanding global warming, as it primarily involves ocean warming. The Southern Ocean significantly influences the rate at which the Antarctic ice sheet melts, a crucial factor in projecting future sea level rise.
Dr. Sian Henley, co-chair of SOOS and a marine scientist at the University of Edinburgh, emphasized the disproportionate role of the Southern Ocean in the Earth’s climate system. She noted that the Southern Ocean has absorbed about 75% of the extra heat retained by the planet, primarily due to human activities. Additionally, around 40% of the ocean’s uptake of extra CO2 from human activities occurs in the Southern Ocean.
Despite increased observations in other parts of the global ocean, the Southern Ocean remains a “data desert.” This shortage of data hampers efforts to address critical questions about the region’s role in the climate system.
As climate-related events, from sea ice loss to melting ice sheets and heat waves, are expected to worsen with continued warming, the need for comprehensive data from the Southern Ocean becomes increasingly urgent. Currently, many kilometers of ocean remain unmonitored, particularly during the southern hemisphere winter, highlighting the growing monitoring gap in this critical area.
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