12 trillion tons of ice lost: a new study on the continent of Antarctica from the Navy that the rate of melting of the glaciers on the continent is actually twice the rate estimated by scientists until now.
The research was conducted by NASA personnel, who examined satellite photographs and depth scans of the continent's glaciers and ice shelves.
According to the research findings, some of the melting of the glaciers is so fast - that the continent has no possibility of restoring itself through the creation of new glaciers.
That is, even if global warming were to stop in an instant - Antarctica would not regain the ice cover it had in 2000.
The rate of melting glaciers, photo: Reuters
The findings, published in the journal "Nature", show that in the last 25 years the amount of ice lost by the continent is double what scientists have estimated so far, when looking at the melting of the ice sheets from below and the rate of separation of the glaciers from the continent.
In fact, since 1997 the continent has lost 12 trillion tons of ice.
To illustrate, the loss of the glaciers by their separation from the continent amounts to a size of about 37 thousand square kilometers, a size similar to the size of Switzerland, according to Chad Green, the author of the study. Also, the accelerated melting raises the sea level.
According to Green, the consequences of this increased melting are enormous, as 88 percent of the world's glaciers are in Antarctica.
The examination of the satellite images shows that since 2002, the continent has been losing about 149 million tons of ice every year.
Maintain the 2 degree range
Prof. Eric Wolff, a research professor at the University of Cambridge: "If the goal of global warming of two degrees more than before the industrial age is maintained - the situation will be stable. If we fail to achieve this goal - the sea level will rise by many meters in the next centuries."
Were we wrong?
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
