Introducing Changing times in Antarctica

This short video prompts us to learn more about the changing climate and its impacts on Antarctica. RNZ science communicator Dr Claire Concannon provides a hint of what is explored in the Changing times podcast for her Voice of the Sea Ice series.

This fifth episode examines the potential impacts of sea ice and climate change in Antarctica. Claire asks Antarctic researchers how they feel about the implications of climate change and ice loss.

Transcript

Dr Claire Concannon

The ice on our planet is melting. 2024 was the warmest year on record, and in February 2025, we hit a new low for global sea ice. That means both the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice combined. So what does this mean for us?

Kia ora, I’m Claire Concannon, and in Voice of the Sea Ice, we explore what a future with less Antarctic sea ice would mean.

In the short term, Antarctic weather patterns will be impacted. If the ocean lacks its icy blanket in winter, heat energy will move from the warmer ocean to the colder atmosphere, increasing storminess. Less ice being formed will also impact ocean currents. Plus, if there’s less white surface on our planet, less sunlight would be reflected back into space. Instead, heat energy will enter the Southern Ocean in the summer, warming it, which will in turn cause more sea ice melt.

Sea ice also acts to shield the ice shelves from swells. These are the massive floating slabs of ice fed by gigantic Antarctic glaciers. Lacking this barrier, more icebergs will calve off from the ice shelves. This will speed up the flow of ice, leading to increased melting and sea-level rise.

Learn more about what’s happening and how it will impact New Zealand by listening to the Voice of the Sea Ice podcast.

Acknowledgements

This video is courtesy of RNZ. It is from the Voice of the Sea Ice podcast series by Dr Claire Concannon. The series was made with travel support from the Antarctica New Zealand Community Engagement Programme.