West Antarctic warming, Antarctic ice diminishing
August 13th, 2008 by Jim Just“Human activity and the El Nino weather pattern over the last century have warmed West Antarctica, part of the world’s coldest continent, according to a study based on four years of collecting ice core data.”
Scientists wonder if warming could destabilize the West Antarctic ice sheet. If it all melted, it would raise sea levels by 8 to 16 feet. Last year’s IPCC report concluded that Antarctica would not contribute to rising sea levels, and in fact predicted Antarctic ice sheets could increased due to enhanced precipitation. But scientists are finding that, while there are parts of Antarctica that are gaining snowfall and ice, the overall trend for the continent is that the ice is diminishing.