00:00Antarctica just hit another alarming record, and it's not looking good for our planet.
00:05Every winter, the ocean around Antarctica freezes and stretches out for miles.
00:09But this year, that frozen shield peaked at just 1781 million square kilometers.
00:15That's the third lowest winter maximum in 47 years of satellite tracking.
00:19Just two years ago, we hit the all-time low.
00:22And now we're on a downward trend.
00:24What changed?
00:26Until 2016, sea ice levels were actually slightly increasing.
00:30Now, warm ocean water is creeping closer to Antarctica, and it's melting the ice from below.
00:36This isn't just about ice.
00:38When white ice disappears, it exposes dark ocean water.
00:42That water absorbs heat, a lot more heat, which makes the cycle worse.
00:47Sea ice also protects the massive Antarctic ice sheet from waves and wind.
00:51Without that protection, more ice could collapse into the ocean, and that raises sea levels globally.
00:57Some scientists say more snowfall from warmer air could help.
01:01But history tells us, if the planet stays warm, Antarctica shrinks.
01:05And that could reshape coastlines for generations to come.
01:09This isn't just an icy update.
01:10It's a global red flag.
01:12It's a global red flag.
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