31 Oct '15 09:18>4 edits
A rare bit of good (albeit cautious ) news:
it seems that, due to current natural cycles, although there is increase melting of the Antarctica ice due to global warming, this is currently being more than offset by an increase in snowfall there thus the net effect of Antarctic is (currently ) not to contribute to global sea level rise;
http://phys.org/news/2015-10-mass-gains-antarctic-ice-sheet.html
"The good news is that Antarctica is not currently contributing to sea level rise, but is taking 0.23 millimeters per year away," Zwally said. ..."
but it then cautions:
"..."But this is also bad news. If the 0.27 millimeters per year of sea level rise attributed to Antarctica in the IPCC report is not really coming from Antarctica, there must be some other contribution to sea level rise that is not accounted for."
+ if we keep unsustainablely pumping CO2 into the atmosphere, the resulting global warming will eventually completely swamp this current desirable effect and then Antarctica will start to become a net contributor to sea level rise.
Still, those cautious notes said, I still think this is a good bit of news overall.
it seems that, due to current natural cycles, although there is increase melting of the Antarctica ice due to global warming, this is currently being more than offset by an increase in snowfall there thus the net effect of Antarctic is (currently ) not to contribute to global sea level rise;
http://phys.org/news/2015-10-mass-gains-antarctic-ice-sheet.html
"The good news is that Antarctica is not currently contributing to sea level rise, but is taking 0.23 millimeters per year away," Zwally said. ..."
but it then cautions:
"..."But this is also bad news. If the 0.27 millimeters per year of sea level rise attributed to Antarctica in the IPCC report is not really coming from Antarctica, there must be some other contribution to sea level rise that is not accounted for."
+ if we keep unsustainablely pumping CO2 into the atmosphere, the resulting global warming will eventually completely swamp this current desirable effect and then Antarctica will start to become a net contributor to sea level rise.
Still, those cautious notes said, I still think this is a good bit of news overall.