The South Pole, which is the coldest point on Earth, has been warming three times more than the rate of global warming in the last 30 years, according to a latest study.
A team of climate scientists led by Ohio University professor Ryan Fogt and Ohio alumnus Kyle Clem came up with the findings. They analysed weather station data at the South Pole and also climate models to examine the warming in the interiors of Antarctic. Earlier, it was thought that Antarctica’s outer regions only had the effects of warming and the interior of South Pole was believed to be intact.
The temperature in South Pole generally ranges between minus 50 and minus 20 degrees. The scientists noticed that the average temperature in South Pole rose by 1.8 degree C between 1889 and 2018. The temperature rose at the rate of +0.6 degrees Celsius per decade.
In the study, the researchers said that the polar warming was mainly because of natural tropical climate variability and increases in greenhouse gas.
The authors said that the climate exhibits in Antarctic showed one of the largest temperature trends on the earth. They noted that Antarctic Peninsula as well as most of the western part experienced much warming and thinning of ice sheet in the late 20th century.
The researchers found that warm ocean temperatures in the western tropical Pacific Ocean had led to the warming of the South Pole. The warm ocean temperatures in the western tropical Pacific Ocean changed the winds in the South Atlantic near Antarctica and increased the delivery of warm air to the South Pole.
They also found that anthropogenic warming on top of the large tropical climate also led to the warming of the Pole.
