New research has demonstrated that summer ice melt in the Antarctic Peninsula has increased tenfold
New research has demonstrated that summer ice melt in the Antarctic Peninsula has increased tenfold over the last 1000 years, with the majority of the melt occurring in the last few decades.The study undertaken by the University of Washington, involved the drilling of a 364 metre (1,194 ft) ice core from James Ross Island near the northeastern tip of Antarctica in order to gain some insight into past climate.The research team concluded that the summer ice melt is now at the highest levels seen over the last millennium. They noted that the temperatures have been gradually increasing over several hundred years, but, there was a dramatic increase in temperature beginning in the latter half of the 20th Century.The team, whose research is published in the journal ‘Nature Geoscience’, suggest that “the Antarctic Peninsula has warmed to a level where even small increases in temperature can now lead to a big increase in summer ice melt” (Steig, 2013). As a consequence of rapid melting, glaciers and ice shelves can destabilise which will lead to the formation of massive cracks and possible collapses in the future- all of which will contribute to rising sea levels.The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming areas on the planet and is a visual reminder of the impacts of human induced climate change.-JeanFor the full paper see here: http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1787.htmlFor more accessible information, see here: http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/04/antarctica-is-warming,-but-two-new-studies-show-ice-melt-varies-across-continentPhoto courtesy of Armin Rose -- source link
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