Friday March 30, 2007

Antarctic ice sheet is thinning : scientists

news.yahoo.com :

A Texas-sized piece of the Antarctic ice sheet is thinning, possibly due to global warming, and could cause the world's oceans to rise significantly, polar ice experts said. They said "surprisingly rapid changes" were occurring in Antarctica's Amundsen Sea Embayment, which faces the southern Pacific Ocean.

The scientists blamed the melting ice on changing winds around Antarctica that they said were causing warmer waters to flow beneath ice shelves. The wind change, they said, appeared to be the result of several factors, including global warming, ozone depletion in the atmosphere and natural variability.

Study is focusing on the Amundsen Sea Embayment because it has been melting quickly and holds enough water to raise world sea levels 6 meters, or close to 20 feet, the scientists said. "The place where the biggest change is occurring is the Amundsen Sea Embayment," said Donald Blankenship of the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics. "One, it's changing, and two, it can have a big impact," he said in a Webcast with a number of conference participants.

See also :

1. Water found under Antarctic ice to raise sea level forecasts
2. Threat of 16 feet rise in sea level
3. Antarctica under siege

(2007-03-30 12:59:24 SGT) [Env] Permalink

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