HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to ...jes sayin'....

Is Antarctica Melting?

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/20100108_Is_Antarctica_Melting.html

There has been lots of talk lately about Antarctica and whether or not the continent's giant ice sheet is melting. One new paper 1, which states there’s less surface melting recently than in past years, has been cited as "proof" that there’s no global warming. Other evidence that the amount of sea ice around Antarctica seems to be increasing slightly 2-4 is being used in the same way. But both of these data points are misleading. Gravity data collected from space using NASA's Grace satellite show that Antarctica has been losing more than a hundred cubic kilometers (24 cubic miles) of ice each year since 2002. The latest data reveal that Antarctica is losing ice at an accelerating rate, too. How is it possible for surface melting to decrease, but for the continent to lose mass anyway? The answer boils down to the fact that ice can flow without melting.


http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/416685main_20100108_Climate_1.jpg

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (5 posts)

Related discussions