Above-average temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula
Although many glaciers in Antarctica usually maintain their snow cover throughout the year, the last austral summer season saw anomalously high temperatures that resulted in the melting of several snow-covered regions in the Antarctic Peninsula, which extends towards South America, to their bare ground. Several glaciers in the region completely disappeared this season, and many others lost their snow cover. Periods with temperatures warmer than average began to affect the area in November and persisted until February, with several regions recording 15 to 20 more days of melting than usual.
This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 19 February 2023, shows Vega Island and its ice cap, with its eastern part entirely snowless.
Open data acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel satellites are crucial for monitoring glaciers worldwide.
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