Arctic ice loss is worrying, but the giant stirring in the South could be even worse

A record start to summer ice melt in Greenland this year has drawn attention to the northern ice sheet. We will have to wait to see if 2019 continues to break ice-melt records, but in the rapidly warming Arctic the long-term trends of ice loss are clear. 

Field camp on the East Antarctic ice sheet.

But what about at the other icy end of the planet?

Antarctica is an icy giant compared to its northern counterpart. The water frozen in the Greenland ice sheet is equivalent to around 7 metres of potential sea level rise. In the Antarctic ice sheet there are around 58 metres of sea-level rise currently locked away. 

Like Greenland, the Antarctic ice sheet is losing ice and contributing to unabated global sea level rise. But there are worrying signs Antarctica is changing faster than expected and in places previously thought to be protected from rapid change.

Read the story from The Conversation - “Arctic ice loss is worrying, but the giant stirring in the South could be even worse.” 

Understand the broader details of climate, courtesy of BOM and CSIRO

Should you be eager to understand some of broader details of climate change then spend a little time of the State of the Climate Report from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

The bureau has combined with the CSIRO to contribute significantly to the international effort of weather and climate monitoring, forecasting and research.

In State of the Climate, they discuss the long-term trends in Australia’s climate.