Like the other six continents, Antarctica is warming.

A new study using satellite measurements as well as temperature records from weather stations shows that from 1957 to 2006, temperatures across the continent increased on average 0.2 degrees F per decade. This increase is comparable to warming around the world.

Not all parts of Antarctica are warming at the same rate. West Antarctica, including the Antarctic Peninsula that stretches toward South America, has warmed more rapidly (0.3 degrees F per decade) than East Antarctica.

Studying warming in Antarctica is a complex task. The presence of the ozone hole (due to CFC emissions) since the late 1970s has actually led to cooling temperatures in East Antarctica. CFCs have been phased out and the ozone hole is expected to heal, meaning that this cooling trend may reverse. Other factors such as differences in elevation between East and West Antarctica and sea ice also influence the continent’s response to warming.