Central West Antarctica is one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet, reports a study published online this week in Nature Geoscience. Continued warming in the region could lead to more frequent and extensive melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

David Bromwich and colleagues pieced together observational data from Byrd Station in Central West Antarctica, collected between 1958 and 2010. They show that the region warmed by 2.4℃ over this period, making central West Antarctica one of the fastest-warming regions globally. As well as a rise in spring, winter and annual average temperatures, they document significant summer warming.