Considering 2012 was the hottest year on record pretty much anywhere, this should come as no surprise but: over the past 50 years, temperatures in West Antarctica have risen almost twice as much as scientists previously believed. According to a new paper released by Nature Geoscience, the average annual temperature at the Byrd research center in central West Antarctica has increased by 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1958, which is not only twice as much as previous estimates but also three times the average change worldwide, making the area "one of the fastest-warming regions on earth."