Antarctica is hotter than it's ever been
The Antarctic Peninsula is among the fastest warming regions on the planet.
Temperatures in Antarctica have reached a record high. According to Argentinian research station thermometer, the temperature climbed to 18.3 degrees Celsius, or 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit. That beats Antarctica's previous record of 63.5 degrees, measured in March 2015, by nearly 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
This isn't necessarily surprising. Earth just saw its hottest January on record, and 2019 was the second-warmest year recorded. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the Antarctic Peninsula (the northwest tip near to South America) is among the fastest warming regions of the planet. Its temperature has increased almost 3 degrees Celsius (37.4 degrees Fahrenheit) over the last 50 years, and the amount of ice lost from the Antarctic ice sheet increased at least six-fold between 1979 and 2017.
Researchers do have to verify the measurement taken by the Argentinian research station thermometer, but they say "everything we have seen thus far indicates a likely legitimate record."
This trend will likely continue, as researchers say the planet is warming faster than originally thought. Meanwhile, experts say climate change is wreaking havoc on Earth's oceans and starving them of oxygen.
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