VOA标准英语2008年-Researchers: Antarctic Ice Loss Is Accelerating

A group of climate researchers says there is evidence that global warming is causing the Antarctic ice cap to melt more quickly than it did 10 years ago.

The scientists said Monday they used satellite data to monitor the Antarctic coastline. They found the ice sheet on the Earth's southern pole lost 59 percent more ice in 2006 than it did in 1996.

The researchers say western antarctica lost 132 billion tons of ice in 2006, enough to raise worldwide sea levels by 0.5 millimeter.

The team's leader, Eric Rignot of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said warmer temperatures appear to be accelerating the movement of coastal¹ Antarctic glaciers² into the sea.

The researchers say their findings may cause scientists to revise their predictions about rising sea levels around the world.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.