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A new study finds that rising temperatures in the Pacific Ocean's waters may be directly catalyzing the continuous Antarctic warming. 

Published in the journal Nature Geoscience, researches describe a phenomenon called Rossby wave train, whereby heat rising off equatorial pacific waters actually causes waves of warmth in Earth's atmosphere to travel all the way to Antarctica during winter and spring. Scientists hope these new results may help explain the continued thinning of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

"This is distinct from El Nino," explained Eric Steig, one of the University of Washington researchers who used satellite and surface temperature markers to support their theory. "That climate phenomenon, which affects weather patterns worldwide, primarily influences sea-surface temperatures further east into the Pacific…It can be -but is not always- associated with strong warming in the central Pacific."

Looking to the effects of such warming on the gradual melting of the West Antarctic Ice sheet, Steig explained when Westerly winds push away cool water away from the ice sheet, warmer water floods in and melts the sheet from below. 

It certainly gives new meaning to the phrase "skating on thin ice."