Ice-cold facts

Published on 27/07/2012 00:00

I was surprised to read the article, “Vast rift valley found under Antarctic ice” (26 July), which contained assertions such as “the hidden rift valley is contributing to ice loss from the southern polar ice cap and the inexorable rise in the world’s oceans”.

A cursory look at University of Columbia’s Global Mean Sea Level Time Series would indicate that there is no acceleration of sea level increases and the annual rate is a meagre 3.1mm per year, the same rate that has persisted for years. It may be relentless but it adds up to just over 30cm in 100 years.

The article further asserts that “the 100km-long rift basis is 
connected to the warming 
Antarctic Ocean”.

Looking at another index, NSIDC’s Antarctic Sea Ice Extent, the current extent of Antarctic sea ice has been above the 
1979-2000 average for the whole of 2012.

You would expect sea ice extent to reduce compared with the past in face of “the warming Antarctic Ocean” as 90 per cent of sea ice is below the water line. Well, it is not happening.

John Peter

Monks Road

Airdrie