The
West Antarctic Ice Sheet is
thinning continuously and has been over the past 10,000 years.
Melting ice sheets between 19,000 years ago to 6,000 years ago
raised sea level by 120 m. Melting due to natural
glacial-interglacial cycles likely will continue. The
question is
whether the current global warming is accelerating this
process.
Ackert (2003) and Stone (2003) provide information on recent
measurements of melting rates that will assist in developing
models
that might distinguish the impact of human-induced warming
from long-term trends.
References
Ackert, R. P., Jr., 2003: An ice sheet remembers. Science, 299, 57-58.
Stone, J. O., G. A. Balco, D. E. Sugden, M. W. Caffee, L. C. Sas III, S. G. Cowdery, and C. Siddoway, 2003: Holocene deglaciation of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica. Science, 299, 99-102.
