Scientists Blame Warmer Temperatures for Crumbling of Antarctic Ice Shelves
Warming temperatures in the antarctic are causing large segments of the Larsen B and Wilkins ice shelves to crumble away, British and American scientists said Wednesday. The two shelves have already lost 3,000 square kilometers of ice, an area half the size of Delaware.
A team from the British Antarctic Survey said the average temperature in the region has risen about 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1940s, bringing the average summertime temperature to just above freezing. Satellite pictures are available at https://www-nsidc.colorado.edu/NSIDC/ICESHELVES/larswilknews and https://www.nerc.bas.ac.uk.
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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II
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