Argentinian station in Antarctica records the warmest December of the past 51 years.This could be life-threatening for penguins

Photo: Pixabay

The WEC Weather and Climate Monitoring System reports that this December 2021 was the warmest month at the Argentinian Marambio station on the Antarctic continent since 1970. According to meteorological data recorded at the site and monitoring of Antarctic climatology carried out by the World Environmental Conservancy (WEC), the average temperature this month was +2.0ºC (35.6ºF) the highest monthly temperature of the last 51 years. This same value had been recorded in the region in 1992. The Marambio research station is located in the northern area of the Antarctic Peninsula and has been operated by Australia since 1970. A significant factor for the noted monthly temperature increase was a strong heat wave that hit the region on December 25 when the maximum temperature reached +10.4ºC (50.7ºF).

It is important to note that the “Snow Hill” colony of emperor penguins is located further north of the Antarctic continentnear the Marambio station. This colony is probably the most sensitive to the rise in temperatures out of season, because if in months like December, the so-called “fast ice” type of ice, on which the emperors live, breaks too early, the penguin chicks can drown, because their feathers are not yet ready to face the cold Antarctic sea.

Atlanta, January 10, 2022 

By M. Romão and L.B.M.Pires

Sources: synop codes 89055, Meteomanz and BAS Reader