West Antarctica warmed by about 2.4 °C between 1958 and 2010, making it one of the fastest-warming areas of the planet.

Previously reported temperature trends in West Antarctica have been disputed, and records in the region are sparse. David Bromwich at Ohio State University in Columbus and his colleagues analysed the most complete set of records available, from the Byrd Station US research outpost, and filled in missing observations with modelling and data from other sites. Their analysis shows warming in West Antarctica in the spring, summer and winter.

Despite the lack of evidence for increased surface melting in this region so far, a continued rise in summer temperatures could boost the chances of more frequent and intense melting events, the authors say.

Nature Geosci. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1671 (2012)