Study shows Antarctica affected by Global Warming?

Global warming has even struck  West Antarctica, in the photo with dark red showing the area that has warmed the most, according to a new study.

Scientists working in the area also report the Wilkins Ice Shelf may soon break apart.
Up until this study was reported it seemed Antarctica was the only continent on Earth that had not been warming up, as far as scientists could tell.
But now a new study finds that large parts of this most southerly  continent have in fact been warming up.
Why is this so important? It turns out that if the ice on Antarctica melted a large portion of the Earth would soon be under water as sea levels would rise.
Only in 1957 were weather stations posted to the southern continent as the area is so remote, and even then they were only placed in the most accessible areas, leaving vast section virtually uncharted.
It is really hard to find hard data when none exists.
According to one Researcher, “It’s like having data in San Francisco and New York and trying to say something about Arizona,” says Steig. “You really need some more information if you’re going to say anything reasonable about Arizona.”
Steig and his colleagues have done just that for Antarctica, taking the data they have and combining satellite data for the area and tried to figure out what is going on.
“It’s much less than Arctic warming but it pretty much is on par with global average warming,” Steig says.
“West Antarctica should be getting more precipitation along with this increased temperature. But I think the data to demonstrate that are not really available,” Steig says.
In fact, the best data from Antarctica show that the continent is putting slightly more water into the ocean than it’s taking out, in the form of snow.
Most of the previous studies did not show any change in Antarctica temperatures, so this new conclusion by Stieg is a bit surprising to some.
“This one study should not cause anyone to suddenly get more worried. If they are taking it seriously already, then this should not make them change their view particularly,” he says.
Scientists have already seen some dramatic changes to ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula, which juts toward South America and is warmer than the rest of the continent.
“Not all of Wilkins will disappear overnight but a large part of it could,” David Vaughan  of the British Antarctica Survey says.
It is still a cause for concern though say many, if the ice shelves, which are hundreds of square miles should melt at the same rate as glaciers in the north we could be in for some trying times ahead.
Already there are studies indicating that something has to be done now to alert and even put into place controls for high risk low elevation areas.
In the meantime the impact of global warming on Antarctica will receive more attention in the coming months.