Warm water rapidly melting Antarctica from below due to climate change
Warm ocean water is melting Antarctica from below, destabilising its ice sheets and contributing to sea level rise.
A new study has used data from satellites to determine how much underwater ice is melting.
This has allowed researchers to map the retreat of the “grounding lines”, where large floating ice shelves connect to the layer of bedrock underneath Antarctica.
These shelves can be particularly vulnerable to collapse as sea water melts them from beneath.
photo credit: Travels with Kathleen