Rising temperatures cause huge ice blocks to slide off the continent into the sea, raising water levels, scientists say. Photo / Thinkstock
New fears around rising sea levels after study finds thawing is faster than estimated. Temperatures in the western part of Antarctica are rising almost twice as fast as previously believed, adding to fears that continued thaws are causing sea levels to rise, according to comprehensive research published this week.
In a discovery that raises new concerns about the effects of climate change on the
South Pole, the average annual temperature in the region has risen by 2.4C since the 1950s, three times faster than the average around the world.
The unexpected jump was discovered after David Bromwich, professor of geography at Ohio State University, led a research team to the previously uninhabited Byrd Station research centre 1800km from the South Pole in the heart of West Antarctica.
Their research claims that original estimates, which were half those revealed this week, were based on faulty data. They found that nearly one third of temperature observations had been missing for the past 60 years due to regular power outages and limited resources. Professor Bromwich and the study's co-author, Andrew Monaghan, went back over the outpost's findings since it opened in 1957, reassessing previous predictions and modelling atmospheric changes.
