By Anneliese Smudde, age 10
On February 9, Antarctica saw its highest temperature on record at just over 69 degrees Fahrenheit, according to researchers at Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station. This temperature broke a record heat of 63.5 degrees recorded just three days earlier.
These rising temperatures cause Arctic glaciers to melt more rapidly, contributing to rising sea levels. Since 2012, ice losses due to rising temperatures in Antarctica have tripled, which have increased global sea levels by three millimeters, according to a climate assessment funded by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency).
If the glaciers and frozen water stored in Antarctica were to melt entirely, global sea levels would rise by nearly 200 feet.
