Heat wave in Antarctica melted 20% of an island’s snow in 9 days
Published: Feb. 24, 2020 at 7:01 PM CST
New images from NASA show that nearly a quarter of an Antarctic island's snow cover has melted in the last month.
The first
shows Eagle Island in the northeastern part of Antarctica at the beginning of February. The second shows the same island nine days later, showing land exposed and pools of water on its surface.
According to NASA, Eagle Island lost about 20 percent of its total seasonal snow accumulation.
NASA reports that Antarctica experienced its hottest day on record earlier in February, at 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit - the same temperature recorded in Los Angeles that same day.
