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Article: Antarctica and climate change; Recent melting in the planet's icebox could spell trouble.
- Article from:
- World Watch
- Article date:
- January 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Worldwatch Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Visiting Antarctica is an incredible, almost unearthly, experience. Icebergs bigger than cities. Glaciers with cracks large enough to swallow a football stadium. A floating ice shelf the size of France. An ice cap thicker in some regions than 10 Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other. Along with the enormity come the extremes: of the seven continents, Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest, windiest--and of course iciest--place on Earth. Add to that "remotest," and it becomes clear why teasing the climate record out of this vast continent has been a challenge.
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Geography and topography are paramount to the existence ...