In only one year, the ice shelves have declined by 3,000 square kilometers. The problem began in November of 1998.Research scientists cite a warming trend in the region as the cause of the ice shelf retreat. Since the 1940s, British scientists have measured a temperate increase of roughly 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
To study and monitor the retreat of the ice shelves, the National Sea Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado uses satellite photographs.
The Larsen B ice shelf alone has now lost over 1,700 square kilometers. The Wilkins Ice Shelf retreated nearly 1,100 square kilometers in just the month of March.
At the British Antarctic Survey, scientists are saying that the rate of decline of the ice shelves is alarmingly rapid. Though some decline had been expected, the current rates are much greater than what was foreseen.
"We have evidence that the shelves in this area have been in retreat for 50
years, but those losses amounted to only about 7,000 square kilometers," said David Vaughan, a researcher at BAS.
Mr. Vaughan also predicted that if current rates continue, the Wilkins Ice Shelf will disappear in the next few years.
