Climate Change and Antarctica

Related Resources West Antarctica Ice Sheet Climate Change Articles

Climate changes in and around Antarctica have been comparatively less pronounced to date than climate induced changes around the Arctic region, however, a new report by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) suggests that the scenario will soon change.

Their conclusion, "Assuming a doubling of greenhouse gas concentrations over the next century, Antarctica is expected to warm by around 3^oC." (or approximately 5.4^oF)

Questions related to the reasons for the delayed observable warming patterns across Antarctica persist.

Answering those questions begins by understanding that Antarctica geography is the mirror image of its northern counterpart. Whereas the north pole is an ice covered ocean surrounding by land, the south pole is an ice covered land mass surrounding by oceans.

Additionally, the 2007 Fourth Assessment of the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explained some of the differences between the climate change effects in the north and south as a lack of data, saying, "A serious problem is the lack of observations against which to assess models, and for developing process knowledge, particularly over Antarctica."

The SCAR research adds to the known Antarctica data.

According to the report, the ozone hole over Antarctica serves as the most important factor inhibiting the predicted warming effects to date. As the use of ozone depleting chemicals are phased out, and the ozone hole repairs itself, scientists expect to see more pronounced warming effects across the continent.

In the meantime, the current Antarctica warming effects, observed across mostly the Antarctic Peninsula, can be attributed to the ocean warming. In fact, the report states, "The waters of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (the largest ocean current on Earth) have warmed more rapidly than the global ocean as a whole."

The current connects the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans with the Antarctic Ocean, and as it interacts with the boundaries of the Antarctic land and ice boundaries, it contributes to the sea ice and glacier ice melts.

The area in West Antarctic adjacent to the Amundsen Sea is one region where glacier melt has been studied, and appears to be accelerating. A panel of Antarctic scientists recently met, Secrets of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet: A Panel Discussion About Global Warming, Climate Change and Rising Sea Levels, to discuss the issue. The scientists on the panel present a balanced short and long term history of climate patterns in the Amundsen Sea region.

Their power point presentations were not totally recorded on the video. When they are discussing glacial patterns in specific regions, it's important to have a map knowledge of the area they are discussing, in order to keep up with the discussions.

© 2007-2009. Patricia A. Michaels.