According to the NASA's satellites, Antarctica's surface ice coverage has reached record sizes this year. On September 20, the ice coverage peaked at around 7.78 million square miles, the average last year was a bout 7.23 million square miles. This data, of course, does not take factors like ice thickness and ice volume into account. The surprising thing is, Antarctica has been losing on average of 20,800 square miles of ice and gaining an average of 7,300 square miles every year since the late 1970's- a net loss of 13,500 ice square miles. NASA researchers have an explanation. They believe shifting winds and ocean currents are the culprit. The shifting winds and ocean currents push colder air and water towards the Antarctic ice-shelf; as a result conditions arise for ice growth. The changing patterns allow for increased intensity and frequency snow on the arctic continent and more resilient ice cover. Essentially speaking, colder water and air temperatures are derived from the shifted air and water currents- the two conditions explain why there is a spike in surface ice coverage. Scientists are not only unsure about the trend's continuation into following years, but also are baffled by both the shifting air and water current phenomenon and the impact of rising temperatures.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121013-antarctica-sea-ice-record-high-science-global-warming/
I find this very interesting that while everyone assumes because of Global Warming, that the ice masses are to decrease, this is telling as otherwise. Do you believe that the ice mass volume is just merely following a trend? The world is always changing, so it is just natural for the ice masses to change as well. Changes are natural occurrences that have been going on for millions of years.
ReplyDeleteScientists have found that the surface area of ice coverage in Antartica is increasing but they say that it won't necessarily remain this way. Global warming can change the way air currents flow, who fluctuations can go either way, both colder and warmer
DeleteI agree with Arianna, everyone assumes and believes that because of global warming the ice caps are supposedly decreasing and yet the opposite it happening. How is this phenomenon going to affect us in the future? Is the earth going to become a colder place?
ReplyDeleteThe earth isn't going to be a colder place but rather, the air and ocean current may change because of global warming. Because the atmosphere is retaining heat, the currents change, and as a result, the earth may become either colder or warmer.
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