A research has been published this week saying that temperatures in the western part of Antarctica are rising almost twice as fast as previously believed. The discovery adds to growing concerns about the effects of climate changes.
The average annual temperature in the region has risen by 2.4C since the 1950s, which is three times higher than the average around the globe, David Bromwich, Professor of Geography at Ohio State University, who led the research, claims. The scientists claim that previously estimates, which are half of those they revealed, were based on faulty data, as one third of temperature observations had been missing for the past 60 years due to regular power outages and limited resources. There is a link between rising temperature and rising sea levels, the scientists remind. Even a minor temperature rise results in that huge blocks of ice slide into the ocean raising sea levels. The region contains enough ice to raise sea levels by at least 3.3m (10.8ft) if it all melted, a process that would likely take centuries. But, according to these findings, it is now the second largest contributor to global rises with 0.3mm per year to Greenland’s 0.7mm. Source: Voice of Russia
