Antarctic ice melting 6 times faster than it did in ’80s

Author: Doyle Rice / Source: USA TODAY

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The ice in Antarctica is melting six times faster than it did just 40 years ago, a new study reports.

This dramatic acceleration of the ice loss is a clear indication of human-caused climate change, the study authors said.

Lead author Eric Rignot, an ice scientist at the University of California–Irvine, said the melting ice has caused global sea levels to rise more than half an inch since 1979.

While that may not sound like much, the amount is certainly alarming to climate scientists, as it’s a preview of things to come:

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak,” Rignot said. “As the Antarctic ice sheet continues to melt away, we expect multi-meter sea level rise from Antarctica in the coming centuries.” In this century alone, a ten-foot rise is possible, he said.

(A reminder: This isn’t…

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