A 2005 study published in the journal Science examined 244 marine glaciers in Antarctica and found that glaciers across the Antarctic Peninsula have been melting at unprecedented, accelerating rates.

• Cook, A.J. et al. "Retreating Glacier Fronts on the Antarctic Peninsula Over the Past Half-Century." Science 308(5721): 541-544. 22 April 2005 at www.sciencemag.org

The study measured glacial cover over several decades and found that 87% of the 244 Antarctic glaciers have retreated. Cook et al. combined several research methodologies, including aerial photographs and satellite imagery, to assess the state of Antarctic Peninsula glacial ice cover.

Implications: The study's results confirm modeling predictions that polar regions will warm at faster rates than lower latitudes. Moreover, the rate of change, as demonstrated by Cook and colleagues, is much faster than previously anticipated. As with other studies of Arctic melting, the results may, over time, lead to a fundamental change in thermohaline circulation -- as well as to local faunal and floral changes as species seek to adapt to changing conditions.