Global warming: Sea level is rising faster in Antarctica

The observation of Antarctica in the last two decades reveals that the melting glaciers caused an increase in sea level on the shores of the White Continent 2 centimeters higher than the rest of the planet, according to a study.

Researchers at the University of Southampton British conducted the study published Sunday in Nature Geoscience based on the monitoring of more than one million km2 of Antarctic territory from satellites over the past 19 years.

Scientists warned that the increase in sea level is 2 cm higher in Antarctica than the average of 6 cm observed in the rest of the planet.

The melting of the Antarctic ice sheet and floating ice helped form an excess of 350 gigatons of fresh water in the adjacent oceans. This led to a reduction in salinity, verified by measurements from ships sailing in the region.

"Fresh water is less dense than salt water and therefore in regions where there is an excess of fresh water an increase in sea level is expected"He said in a statement Craig Rye, who leads the research team.

In addition to the observations from satellites, scientists performed computer simulations of the effect of melting glaciers in the Antarctic Ocean.

"The computer model confirms our theory that the sea level that we observe in the data collected by satellite are almost entirely a result of a desalination resulting from the melting of ice", dijo Craig.

"The interaction between air, sea and ice in these seas is an important determinant for the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet and sea levels factor, as well as other environmental processes such as the generation of Antarctic deep water, which cools and replenish much oceanic depths of the planet "He said.

SOURCE: Peru21.pe