New study on climate change in Antarctica challenges theories

Monday 14 August

A researcher from the University of Newcastle has been working with an international science team to unravel climate change in Antarctica and its implications for global sea levels.

Dr Ian Goodwin from the Universitys Faculty of Science and Information Technology is one of 16 researchers from nine institutions in seven countries who took part in the study.

The findings show that there has been no significant change in snowfall since the 1950s. This indicates that the slow-but-steady rise in global sea levels isn't being slowed by a thickening of Antarctica's massive ice sheets, as some climate-change critics have argued.

The results are important since most accepted computer models assessing global climate change call for an increase in Antarctic precipitation as atmospheric temperatures rise.

The findings have been published in the latest issue of the journal Science.

For comment, Dr Ian Goodwin on 02 4921 8870.