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New Antarctic ice discovery aids future climate predictions
https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/new-antarctic-ice-discovery-aids-future-climate-predictions/[font face=Serif][font size=5]New Antarctic ice discovery aids future climate predictions[/font]
16 August, 2016
[font size=4]A team of British climate scientists comparing today’s environment with the warm period before the last ice age has discovered a 65% reduction of Antarctic sea ice around 128,000 years ago. The finding is an important contribution towards the challenge of making robust predictions about the Earth’s future climate.[/font]
[font size=3]Reporting this week in the journal Nature Communications scientists describe how by reconstructing the Earth’s climate history through analysis of Antarctic ice cores they can determine what environmental conditions were like during ice ages and past warm periods. This study focussed on sea ice conditions during the most recent warm period – known as the last interglacial – when global temperatures were similar to today.
Sea ice in the Arctic and around Antarctica regulates climate as, in summer vast areas of whiteness reflect heat from the sun back into the atmosphere, whilst in winter, sea ice prevents heat from escaping from the warm ocean to the air. Current climate models forecast a reduction in Antarctic sea ice of up to about 60% by the end of the next century. Finding a 65% reduction in the climate record during a time when global climate conditions were similar to the present day is especially relevant.
…
“Although Arctic sea ice has diminished during the past 30 years, little change has been observed around Antarctica. This discovery in the ice core record of a massive loss of sea ice provides evidence that Antarctic sea ice can also undergo similar major reductions. This may give vital clues to what might happen by the end of the next century.”
…[/font][/font]
16 August, 2016
[font size=4]A team of British climate scientists comparing today’s environment with the warm period before the last ice age has discovered a 65% reduction of Antarctic sea ice around 128,000 years ago. The finding is an important contribution towards the challenge of making robust predictions about the Earth’s future climate.[/font]
[font size=3]Reporting this week in the journal Nature Communications scientists describe how by reconstructing the Earth’s climate history through analysis of Antarctic ice cores they can determine what environmental conditions were like during ice ages and past warm periods. This study focussed on sea ice conditions during the most recent warm period – known as the last interglacial – when global temperatures were similar to today.
Sea ice in the Arctic and around Antarctica regulates climate as, in summer vast areas of whiteness reflect heat from the sun back into the atmosphere, whilst in winter, sea ice prevents heat from escaping from the warm ocean to the air. Current climate models forecast a reduction in Antarctic sea ice of up to about 60% by the end of the next century. Finding a 65% reduction in the climate record during a time when global climate conditions were similar to the present day is especially relevant.
…
“Although Arctic sea ice has diminished during the past 30 years, little change has been observed around Antarctica. This discovery in the ice core record of a massive loss of sea ice provides evidence that Antarctic sea ice can also undergo similar major reductions. This may give vital clues to what might happen by the end of the next century.”
…[/font][/font]
