Editorial: A satellite view of global warming

Monday, March 6, 2006 | 7:32 a.m.

Scientists say new research shows that the Antarctic ice sheet has lost about 36 cubic miles of ice annually since 2002, adding to an increasing number of recent studies that show rising global temperatures are affecting the Earth's ocean levels and climate.

The new study, published Friday in the journal Science, shows melting of the thick sheet of ice that covers Antarctica released about 40.1 trillion gallons of water from 2002 to 2005. That is roughly the amount of water the United States would consume in 38 years.

The data was collected through a first-ever survey by NASA and the German Aerospace Center that uses twin satellites to track tiny changes in the Earth's gravity field, which are caused by changes in the distribution of the planet's mass - including ice caps. Scientists believe that this unique technology will enable them to more accurately track sea level changes over time.

Also on Friday, Science published an unrelated study predicting that a quarter of the African continent's lakes and streams will be dry by the end of the century because of higher global temperatures.

And in separate reports issued last month, experts said glaciers in Greenland and those in Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park, located on the U.S.-Canada border, are melting at record speeds. The resulting rise in sea levels is killing coral reefs across the globe.

This new NASA technology promises to deliver an accurate picture of how warming is affecting life on our planet. What remains uncertain is whether the Bush administration - leaders of the nation creating 25 percent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming - will finally act on the call to improve its policies that have done nothing to reduce emissions of these gases.