Three-stage warming pushes Antarctic sea ice toward a tipping point

A Southampton-led study in Science Advances identifies a three-stage sequence behind Antarctic sea-ice collapse to record lows since 2015: warm Circumpolar Deep Water rising toward the surface, intensified mixing that rapidly melts ice (especially East Antarctica), and a self‑reinforcing cycle that prevents new ice from forming. The East Antarctica melt is ocean-heat-driven, while West Antarctica is amplified by cloud-driven warming. If this persistent low-ice state continues, the Southern Ocean could become a long‑term driver of global warming, with destabilized currents and potential impacts on sea level and climate.