The Antarctic isn't melting much -- Yet

The circumpolar winds that circulate around the Antarctic have strengthened during the past four decades, acting as a barrier to warm air intrusion from lower latitudes. This is attributed to the thinner ozone layer, making the stratosphere cooler which in turn generates stronger winds beneath, effectively sealing off most of the continent each summer from the effects of global warming. The past Antarctic summer has seen less melting than any time in the past 30 years during which satellite data has been available.

However, the as the ozone quantity increases this is expected to cause a reduction in the circumpolar winds, allowing greater intrusion of warmer air and hence, increasing the ice sheet melting during the Antarctic summer.

Every year is different, says Marco Tedesco of the City College of New York: "In 2005, we had summer melting occurring inland as well as over the coastal ice shelves, and over areas up to 2500 meters above sea level." Even during exceptional low melt of last year however, ice on the northwest peninsula has contnued to collapse rapidly since February, 2008.