Satellite data have shown that water levels around Antarctica are rising faster than the rest of the oceans; according to scientists, this is due to the melting of glaciers.
A British team led by Craig Rye of the University of Southampton analyzed satellite data on sea levels between 1992 and 2011 and found that water levels around Antarctica rose more than the rest of the oceans.
On average, the ocean level rose by 6 centimeters over the indicated decade, but in the Antarctic region this figure was 8 centimeters.
The obtained results are supported by the fact that research ships sailing near Antarctica have more than once recorded a general decrease in water salinity.
All this, according to scientists, speaks of the accelerated melting of the ice of the Antarctic ice sheet, which not only affects the circumpolar seas, but is also an important factor in the process of global warming.
In addition to analyzing the data, the scientists performed computer simulations of the melting of Antarctica's glaciers and found that the results coincided with those in their study.
“Computer simulations supported our theory that the rise in water levels observed by satellites was mainly due to desalination [of the ocean], which was caused by the melting of the ice sheet and ice shelves,” says Craig Rye (University of Southampton)
Naked Science
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