Variations in global warming and cooling do not contradict overall warming data.<\/p>\n
Journal of Glaciology<\/em>\u00a0has found the Antarctic ice sheet is expanding because accumulated snowfall is outpacing melting glaciers. \u00a0This has drawn sharp criticism from many climate\u00a0scientists. While it does not contradict the science on global warming, it has pried open a long-standing debate about how warming is effecting the largest ice mass on the planet.<\/p>\n This is representative of some general problems in interpreting climate data: \u00a0(1) The increase in the overall average temperature of the planet does not mean that some areas cannot be cooling. \u00a0Over the last two centuries temperatures in the arctic have risen about twice the rate of the global average.\u00a0 That fact means that there must have been areas on earth that have seen temperature rises less than average, or maybe even decreasing. \u00a0(2) Temperature changes, particularly non-uniformly distributed changes, will likely produce changes in participation, both amount and distribution. \u00a0This second consideration means that the antarctic could have a greater amount on annual ice melt because of rising temperatures offset by an increase in the rate of ice accumulation due to more snowfall. \u00a0So Antarctica could be warming and increasing ice cover at the same time. \u00a0And then there is an increase in sea ice in the water surrounding Antarctica which further complicates the overall picture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Variations in global warming and cooling do not contradict overall warming data. Journal of Glaciology\u00a0has found the Antarctic ice sheet is expanding because accumulated snowfall is outpacing melting glaciers. \u00a0This has drawn sharp criticism from many climate\u00a0scientists. While it does … Continue reading