Oh NOEEEESSSSSS!!!!1111eleventy!!! - Antarctic warming

From Matt McGrath at the Beeb:

West Antarctic Ice Sheet warming twice earlier estimate
A new analysis of temperature records indicates that the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet is warming nearly twice as fast as previously thought.

US researchers say they found the first evidence of warming during the southern hemisphere's summer months.

They are worried that the increased melting of ice as a result of warmer temperatures could contribute to sea-level rise.

And there is a little infographic showing the warming around the Byrd station -- around eight o'clock on the continent. Next up from Environmental Graffiti:

Volcano, Not Global Warming Effects, May be Melting an Antarctic Glacier
Scientists have discovered a layer of volcanic ash and glass shards in Antarctica, evidence of an old eruption by a still active volcano that researchers believe may be contributing to the thinning of Antarctic glacial ice.

Hugh F.J. Corr and David G. Vaughan, two scientists with the British Antarctic Survey, recently published their discovery of the volcanic layer in the journal Nature Geoscience. The discovery is unique according to Dr. Vaughan. He said �This is the first time we have seen a volcano beneath the ice sheet punch a hole through the ice sheet.�

The volcano�s heat could possibly be melting and thinning the ice and raising the speed of the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica.

Sounds like the same research paper, just two very slanted views of it. Hmmmm... OK - now we set the wayback machine to May 7, 2008 -- from Watts Up With That

Climate Models Fail at Antarctic Warming Predictions
There is a a peer-reviewed study in the April 5th issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters. It is by Andrew Monaghan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO. �This is a really important exercise for these climate models,� he said.

Monaghan and his team found that while climate models projected temperature increases of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.75 degrees Celsius) over the past century, temperatures were observed to have risen by only 0.4 F (0.2 C). �This is showing us that, over the past century, most of Antarctica has not undergone the fairly dramatic warming that has affected the rest of the globe,� Monaghan said. The gap between prediction and reality seemed to be caused by the models overestimating the amount of water vapor in the Antarctic atmosphere.�

Which links to this January 22, 2008 post from Anthony:

Surprise! There�s an active volcano under Antarctic ice
It seems that we still don�t know everything there is to know about our earth-climate system. Take this for example. Scientists have just now discovered an active volcano under the Antarctic ice that �creates melt-water that lubricates the base of the ice sheet and increases the flow towards the sea�.

Yet many claim the CO2 is the driver for any melting of the Antarctic ice sheet. I wonder how this will figure into that argument?

Larsen Ice Shelves A and B, by the way, sit astride a chain of volcanic vent islands known as the Seal Nunataks, which may figure into melting and breakups like this and this. (h/t Alan)

That last post has a nice map of the known volcanoes with several right at around eight o'clock on the antarctic continent. Hmmmm...