You shouldn't confuse Antarctica's ice gain as evidence against global warming

Global warming has disrupted life in The Arctic, but the same has not held true in Antarctica.

Satellite records show that Antarctica is gaining more ice than it’s losing.

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“If you will, the ozone hole has shielded Antarctica from the wrath of global warming,” Salawitch said.

But this isn’t enough evidence to prove that climate change isn’t real, according to Dr. Ross J Salawitch, a member of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at University of Maryland.

“Antarctica is very complicated,” Salawitch said. “It’s clear from the private record that climate change is happening much more rapidly in the Arctic than the Antarctic. And there’s a lot of debate among scientists as to why that is.”

Wind changes are responsible for Antarctica's ice gain

Salawitch attributes the disparity to the “ozone hole.”

Every September and October, there’s a great amount of ozone in the stratosphere, Salawitch said.

But, he added, wind changes induced by the ozone hole shield the Antarctic peninsula from global warming.

“If you will, the ozone hole has shielded Antarctica from the wrath of global warming,” Salawitch said.

An NASA Study from Oct. 2015 reported the Antarctic ice sheet gained 112 billion tons of ice a year from 1992 to 2001 and 82 billions tons of ice per year from 2003 to 2008.

This causes some to believe that climate change isn’t real.

Salawitch maintains that the evidence suggesting global warming is “compelling” and overwhelming,” and that Antarctica isn’t a good barometer.

Austin Hope, a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at University of Maryland, said it’s importance for people to remember that different regions will be affected by climate change in different ways.

But he did agree that distinguishing between the two poles could be confusing.

“Antarctica isn’t really feeling climate change as much as other regions are,” Hope said. “Some people could latch on to that and say  ‘Oh, it’s not as important, because it’s not global.’”

“I think that does add some confusion or does add some fuel to people who say climate change is not as big of an issue as it actually is.”

Scientists express frustration with Antarctic misconception

Hope also said that people need to look at the bigger picture when considering the impact of climate change.

Antarctica isn’t the only region that isn’t experiencing more warming. In fact, some areas are seeing more precipitation and getting better crops, he said.

“People who argue against climate change also often like cherry-picking examples,” Hope said. “It is frustrating when people cherry pick examples that make it look like climate change isn’t as important or as wide-reaching as it is.”

People in the science community like Salawitch and Hope agree that it’s annoying some attribute Antarctica’s climate as evidence against global warming.

But they aren’t irritated with the public.

The problem goes deeper.

“My frustration lies with the U.S. political system,” Salawitch said. “Not the public. So my frustration lies with the money that’s being given to candidates.”