Scientists stunned by Antarctic rainfall and a melt area bigger than Texas – The Washington Post
Article Synopsis – In January 2016, due to an especially strong El Niño, an area twice the size of California was partially melted from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest floating ice shelf in the world. Researchers have previously documented that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting from below because of warming ocean waters. The January 2016 melt event affected the surface of large areas of western Antarctica, which could mean that a major portion of Antarctica’s vast ice sheet — which holds 90 percent of the world’s ice — will experience intensified melting from the air above and the sea below. El Niño events could become more frequent in the future — causing the Antarctic ice sheet to be hit by more frequent major melt events. To read the actual article click here.