Arctic glaciers melting accelerates, revealing ocean's influence
Scientists have been studying the melting of Arctic glaciers for years. In addition to the warming climate, the ocean significantly influences this alarming process, potentially leading to a rise in sea and ocean levels.
The Antarctic ice sheet contains 60% of the world's fresh water, with an average thickness of about 1.6 kilometres, and the continent itself is approximately twice the size of Australia. The loss of ice from this sheet could greatly contribute to sea level rise.
The ice sheet is melting at an alarming rate
The climate crisis is progressing, and we will experience its effects in the coming years. One consequence of this process is the rising levels of seas and oceans. However, scientists have made progress in understanding the so-called boundary layer of ice and ocean. At the edges of the ice sheet, glaciers flow into the Southern Ocean, forming ice shelves that stabilize the sheet. The ocean melts the lower layers, leading to their melting and retreat, and raising sea levels.
Oceanic processes controlling ice melting occur on a very small scale, making their measurement and modeling difficult. However, thanks to new computer simulations and underwater robots, scientists have gained new data about the environment beneath the ice shelves.
Underwater formations discovered
Robots have revealed extraordinary ice formations, such as crevices and indentations. New simulations illustrate how the ice shapes itself, similar to dunes in the desert. To better understand this process, new computer models are still needed to simulate the entire ice landscape.
The melting of glaciers is accelerating at an alarming rate, which carries significant consequences. The last decade has seen record levels of melting, and scientists warn of further impacts.
Scientists emphasize the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change in the coming decades. International climate reports predict a significant increase in temperatures in polar regions, which will accelerate the observed trends.
