Antarctica Warmth ‘Unusual, but not Unique’

Antarctica Warmth ‘Unusual, but not Unique’

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The recent Antarctic Peninsula temperature rise and associated ice loss is unusual but not unprecedented, according to research. Analysis of a 364m-long ice core containing several millennia of climate history shows the region previously basked in temperatures slightly higher than today. However, the peninsula is now warming rapidly, threatening previously stable areas of ice, the study, reported in Nature, warns.

The Antarctic Peninsula, the rugged protrusion extending towards South America, is one of the most rapidly warming places on the planet. Measurements taken since 1958 show that seasonal temperatures have increased by around 3C.