A vast section of the West Antarctic ice sheet is melting faster than expected, with two new papers “documenting an acceleration that, if it continues, could have major effects on coastal cities worldwide,” the Washington Post reports.
“Twin papers this week show that the rate of ice loss from West Antarctica is increasing—with the acceleration particularly pronounced in the past decade—and also why this is happening: Warmer ocean waters are pushing up from below and bathing the base of the ice sheet,” Mooney and Warrick write.
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“The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the effects of climate change are outpacing scientific predictions, driven in part, scientists say, by soaring levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”
