Research Shines Some Light On Mysteries of Antarctica

When researchers think about the effects of global warming, and especially about how much ocean levels will rise along with temperatures, they inevitably turn their attention to Antarctica. Almost 90 percent of the planet’s ice is frozen in the glaciers and ice sheets of the continent, so conditions there will in large part determine whether sea level rise will be manageable — or catastrophic.

Reflecting the urgency of the issue, Bindschadler said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — the panel of top climate scientists that earlier this month issued its most definitive warning on the buildup of man-made greenhouse gases — has specifically asked researchers to speed their studies of the dynamics of Antarctic climate and how its ice is formed, moved and melted. While much remains to be learned, researchers have an inexact but clearer understanding of what would happen if some of the more vulnerable Antarctic ice melts. Disappearance of the west Antarctic ice sheet, for instance, could raise worldwide sea levels by about 20 feet.

washingtonpost