Nature Geosci. doi:10.1038/ngeo338 (2008)

Antarctica can finally be included in the list of places warmed by human activity. Nathan Gillett of the University of East Anglia, UK, and his colleagues have shown a clear human influence on temperatures at both the North and South Poles with data going back to 1900 and 1950, respectively.

They compared the available data from both poles to simulations from four climate models. The records from both poles could not be explained by natural variation or natural driving forces alone.

So far, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said there are insufficient data to point the finger at an anthropogenic impact in Antarctica. Gillett thinks that conclusion is due for an update.