Glaciers along the Southern Antarctic
Peninsula remained roughly stable between 2003 and 2009.
New satellite observations reveal that the
region suddenly destabilized in 2009 and is now shedding around 56 billion
metric tons of ice each year, enough water to raise sea levels by roughly 0.16
millimeters.
The researchers believe warm ocean water
melted the underside of the ice, undermining the region’s stability and
triggering the abrupt decline. Even if this warm water went away, the now
destabilized region would continue to shrink until reaching a new equilibrium!
By Jorge Salvador
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