Science & Technology

Antarctic snowfall has increased, study shows

By T.K. Randall
April 9, 2018 ·  1 comment

The researchers analyzed dozens of ice cores. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.5 Hannes Grobe The findings, which were presented this week at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) meeting in Vienna, were based on a comprehensive study of 79 ice cores collected from across Antarctica.

"Analysis of the ice core records allows us to reconstruct snowfall over several hundred years," said lead author Dr Liz Thomas from the British Antarctic Survey. "Our new results show a significant change in the surface mass balance (from snowfall) during the twentieth century.""The largest contribution is from the Antarctic Peninsula, where the annual average snowfall during the first decade of the 21st century is 10% higher than at the same period in the 19th century."

Researchers have been keen to emphasize however that the findings do not contradict the fact that mass ice loss in parts of Antarctica has been contributing to a rise in global sea levels.

"There is an international effort to create computer simulations of future sea-level rise in a warming world," said Dr Thomas. "It is complex and challenging for scientists to fully understand and interpret changes in the ice that we see happening today."

Source: Phys.org | Comments (1)

Tags: Snow, Antarctica