Science & Technology

Antarctic melt creates dip in Earth's gravity

By T.K. Randall
October 2, 2014

Image: Antarctica - Petermann Island
Credit: W. Bulach / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Abnormal weather conditions, the melting of the ice caps and a rise in sea levels are generally well known effects of global warming, but a recent announcement by the European Space Agency has highlighted a consequence of climate change that most people will have never even considered.

"The loss of ice from West Antarctica between 2009 and 2012 caused a dip in the gravity field over the region," the agency wrote.Unbelievably, the amount of ice that has melted in Antarctica has been so significant that it has actually had a measurable effect on the gravitational pull of the planet - albeit a small one.

ESA made the discovery by combining high-resolution gravity field measurements from a modern satellite with equivalent measurements from a longer-running, older satellite.

While this change in gravity isn't likely to have any appreciable effect on our day-to-day lives it does help to drive home the extent to which global warming is continuing to change our world.

Source: Wired

Tags: Antarctica, Global Warming, Gravity