Antarctic Peninsula Headed into Spring As spring approaches, the
sea ice of the Antarctic Peninsula begins to melt. CREDIT: MODIS
Rapid Response Team While the Northern Hemisphere is headed
toward winter, the Antarctic Peninsula's ice has begun melting
with the onset of spring. This Nov. 15 image from NASA's Terra
satellite caught this rare, nearly cloud-free view of the
northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, as the sea ice began to
melt. The peninsula and its surrounding islands are rapidly
losing the shield of sea ice that surrounds them in winter.
Winds from the west have also been pushing the ice eastward.
These eastward-blowing winds channel down the mountains,
bringing warmer air to the east side of the peninsula, and
causing the remaining sea ice around the James Ross, Seymour and
Snow Hill Islands to melt. The Antarctic Peninsula is the
northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica . The peninsula
extends from a line between Cape Adams in the Weddell Sea, and a
point on the mainland south of the E