New data from U.S. researchers suggests the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is warming faster than previously thought. According to Nature Geoscience...   “There is clear evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is contributing to sea-level rise... The record reveals a linear increase in annual temperature between 1958 and 2010 by (4.4 °F) establishing central West Antarctica as one of the fastest-warming regions globally. ...A continued rise in summer temperatures could lead to more frequent and extensive episodes of surface melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.” http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1793   The new findings have scientists worried about the warming’s future impact. Here’s KGMB with more...   “The increase means that some areas seasonally now go above freezing that never use to. And surface melting could weaken parts of the ice sheets.”   The research will be under heavy scrutiny from the science community. The irregular gaps in the data acquired from Byrd Station in West Antarctica were filled in by a research team from Ohio State.   However, the melting is still minimal and the worst effects are “decades in the future” according to David Bromwich, the director of the research team behind the recent data.