Meandering ocean currents play an important role in the melting of Antarctic ice shelves, threatening a significant rise in sea levels.
has revealed that the interplay between meandering ocean currents and the ocean floor induces upwelling velocity, transporting warm water to shallower depths. This mechanism contributes substantially to the melting of ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea of West Antarctica. These ice shelves are destabilizing rapidly and contributing to sea level rise.
The Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelves are among the fastest-changing in Antarctica and are of particular interest due to their vulnerability to warming ocean waters. They act as massive barriers restraining the glaciers behind them from flowing into the ocean. However, their rapid melting and potential collapse pose a significant threat to coastal communities worldwide because of the resulting rise in global sea levels.
The researchers paid attention to the 'thermocline depth', which is the depth of the interface between warmer deep waters and cooler surface waters. Variations in thermocline depth significantly affect the influx of warm water toward the ice shelves. Until now, it has been believed that intensified westerly winds north of the Amundsen Sea propelled ocean currents along the shelf break, carrying warmer water toward ice shelf cavities.
The Antarctic Peninsula is melting faster than ever. In a recent study, scientists have revealed how heating in the Tasman sea causes warming of the West Antarctic region and leads to melting of ice ...
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