There have been noticeable changes to Matienzo, the Argentinian research base in the Antarctic peninsula. Thick ice surrounded it and had done for years, but on a recent visit, those collecting drinking water felt uncomfortable. It was melting, and quite a lot in certain areas. So much so that a sled could be seen and it had been discarded and buried decades earlier. It was proof of long term deterioration. A few weeks later, the ice shattered and disintegrated.
As a result, more is now known about how vulnerable the Antarctic is, and more recent estimations show that there may be a 6-foot rise in sea level by the turn of the next century. This is double what had previously been expected.
David Pollard of Pennsylvania State and Robert DeConto of the University of Massachusetts have been looking at possible outcomes for the ice. As the earth has orbited the sun over thousands of years, the ice has collapsed and reformed, and the same pattern has always been followed.
It has been noticed that the ice was sensitive, and it became warmer than many other places on earth. Certain areas showed signs of having melted and reset. There is no another attack on the ice, and that is from under the shelves.
Polar scientist Douglas Fox has recorded more of their findings than those above, including the fact that maps can no longer be used in some parts of the Antarctic as the ice has moved so much.
Douglas Fox is a freelance writer who specializes in polar science; his stories have taken him to Antarctica five times in recent years.
Check this; “Why the New Sea Level Alarm Can’t Be Ignored.”
