No Sign of Increased Snowfall in Antarctica

Antarctica weather 'hindcast' could spell bad news for sea-level rise as as snowfall levels are less than those predicted by climate models.

Southern Hemisphere warming has surprisingly not led to increased snowfall over Antarctica during the past 50 years, researchers report today. If the findings are confirmed, this suggests that global sea-level rise might proceed faster than previously thought.

Average surface temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere have increased by roughly 0.5 °C since the 1950s. Climate models predict that the warming and increased evaporation should result in more snowfall over Antarctica, because the warmer air transported southwards would carry more moisture.

But a reconstruction of the Antarctic precipitation record suggests that, at least in the past, this has not been the case.