Scientists Shocked by Sudden Events in Antarctica

Rapid climate change reached a whole level this week when scientists discovered that the Wilkins ice shelf, which at 6,180 square miles is the largest on the Antarctic Peninsula, has begun to disentegrate. Over 450 square miles have broken off since late February, including one 25-mile long iceberg. The world will know within the next few weeks whether Wilkins will collapse altogether.

``We predicted it would happen, but it's happened twice as fast as we predicted,"' scientist David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) told Bloomberg.com. In 1993, Dr. Vaughan predicted that the Wilkins Ice Shelf would be lost within 30 years if trends in global warming continued.

The Antarctic Peninsula has warmed by 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit during the past 50 years — several times the global average. During the past 30 years, several Antarctic ice shelves have retreated. Six of collapsed altogether, including Prince Gustav Channel, Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, Larsen B, Wordie, Muller and the Jones Ice Shelf.

Although the Wilkins ice shelf is bigger than Connecticut, its disentegration is unlikely to affect sea levels because the Antarctic Peninsula is not over land; rather, it floats in the water.

However, David Vaughan of BAS warns, “Climate warming in the Antarctic Peninsula has pushed the limit of viability for ice shelves further south – setting some of them that used to be stable on a course of retreat and eventual loss. The Wilkins breakout won’t have any effect on sea-level because it is floating already, but it is another indication of the impact that climate change is having on the region.“

Antarctica combined with Greenland holds enough ice to raise sea levels by 260 feet.