Antarctic ice losses have doubled, and are now estimated at nearly 160 billion tons per year.
Antarctic ice losses have doubled, and are now estimated at nearly 160 billion tons per year.
That’s double what it’s been in the past.
The discovery was made via CryoSat, a satellite launched in 2010 to measure the surface heights of the continent, and a team of scientists in the UK.
Given the immense amount of ice in Antarctica, the rapid melting pattern could have big consequences for the sea level at large.
If it continues at its current pace, it alone could account for about a .4 millimeter increase per year.
The area experiencing the greatest amount of melting is Amundsen Sea Embayment, a grouping of 6 glaciers located on the western coast of Antarctica.
It’s long been considered to be the most vulnerable locale, and that theory is proving to be true.
Said one of the researchers, “It adds concrete evidence that dramatic changes are under way in this part of our planet. The challenge is to use this evidence to test and improve the predictive skill of climate models.”
As for the quickly diminishing glacial cover along the western coast, it’s believed the damage already done is irreversible.
