Heat wave melts 20% of Eagle Island's snow in Antarctica; NASA releases close-up look

Antarctica witnessed its single hottest day ever recorded after it registered a high of 69.35 degrees Fahrenheit (20.75 degrees Celsius) on February 9, according to report from a team of Argentine researchers. This marked the first time in history that the temperature in Antarctica has surpassed 20 degrees C (68 F), researchers told a leading international news portal. 

The report also revealed that it was not the first time the continent saw a new record-breaking temperature during the month. On February 6, a research station (close to South America) on the Antarctic Peninsula saw a high of 64.9 F (18.3 C) which exceeded the earlier record from 2015 at 63.5 F (17.5 C). The record-setting high of 69-degree on February 9 was recorded at Argentina's Marambio research base which is situated on the Seymour Island, which is a part in the chain of 16 major islands around the tip of the Graham Land off the cost on the Antarctic Peninsula.

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NASA releases before and after pic of the melting ice cap and glaciers

NASA's Earth Observatory has recently released two pictures of what the heatwave means to the local ice cap and glaciers. It aims to detail the dramatic changes in the ice and snow along the northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

The picture takes a look at the Eagle Island on February 4 (left) which shows an abundance of ice coverage, whereas the picture on the right gives a view from February 13 which shows melted ponds and exposed ground.

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Ice is melting a lot faster than expected

The World Meteorological Organization of the UN has reported the Peninsula is one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet and has an average rising temperature of 5.4 F (3 C) over the last 50 years. The heatwave is causing the ice to melt at a much faster pace and the greens to grow a lot sooner than expected during the spring season. In addition, the annual ice loss from the Antarctic ice sheet has also seen an increase of more than sixfold.

The continent's icy coastline has also been rapidly declining as major chunks of ice spills into the sea after the surrounding oceans start heating up. This may also be a huge contributor to the rising sea level. Recent reports from NASA also claim that Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier and the Thwaites Glacier are the fastest-retreating glaciers and contain enough vulnerable ice to raise the global sea level by 4 feet.

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Image credits: Twitter | Joshua Stevens

(with inputs from agencies)