SCAR’s Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment Released
02.12.2009 - Ice & Snow, Flora & Fauna, Antarctic
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment, the first comprehensive review of the state of Antarctica's climate and its relationship to the global climate system, has just been published by theScientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
Besides addressing the urgent questions about Antarctic melting and identifying areas for future Antarctic research, the review also focuses on:
- The impact of rapid warming in the Antarctic Peninsula and the Southern Ocean;
- The rapid ice loss in parts of Antarctica and the increase in sea ice around the continent;
- The consequences of climate change on the continent's fauna and flora;
- The unprecedented increase in carbon dioxide levels;
- The connections between human-induced global climate change and natural variability;
- The finding that the ozone hole actually protected most of Antarctica from global warming.
This review is important because it puts climate change in Antarctica - "an unrivalled source of information about our planet" according to SCAR Executive Director Dr. Colin Summerhayes - into context and reveals impacts on the rest of the planet.
"There is no doubt that our world is changing and human activity is accelerating global change," said lead editor of the review, Professor John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). "This review is a major step forward in making sure that the latest and best evidence is available in one place. It sets the scene for future Antarctic Research and provides the knowledge that we all need to help us live with environmental change."
