December 23, 2024

Beneath the Ice: Hidden Currents Driving Antarctica’s Rapid Melt

Credit: Taewook ParkMeandering ocean currents play an essential function in the melting of Antarctic ice shelves, threatening a considerable rise in sea levels.A new research study published in Nature Communications has exposed that the interplay between meandering ocean currents and the ocean floor induces upwelling speed, carrying warm water to shallower depths. These ice shelves are destabilizing rapidly and contributing to sea level rise.Led by Taewook Park and Yoshihiro Nakayama, a worldwide group of scientists from the Korea Polar Research Institute, Hokkaido University, and Seoul National University employed advanced ocean modeling strategies to examine the hidden forces behind the quick melting ice shelves. In a departure from previous assumptions connecting ice shelf melting mostly to winds over the Southern Ocean, this research study highlights the considerable role played by the interactions in between winding ocean currents and the ocean floor in driving the melting process.The Impact on Pine Island and Thwaites Ice ShelvesThe Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelves are amongst the fastest-changing in Antarctica and are of particular interest due to their vulnerability to warming ocean waters.

Credit: Taewook ParkMeandering ocean currents play an important role in the melting of Antarctic ice racks, threatening a considerable rise in sea levels.A brand-new study published in Nature Communications has actually revealed that the interplay in between meandering ocean currents and the ocean flooring causes upwelling velocity, transferring warm water to shallower depths. These ice shelves are destabilizing rapidly and contributing to sea level rise.Led by Taewook Park and Yoshihiro Nakayama, a worldwide group of scientists from the Korea Polar Research Institute, Hokkaido University, and Seoul National University employed advanced ocean modeling techniques to examine the underlying forces behind the fast melting ice shelves. In a departure from prior presumptions linking ice shelf melting primarily to winds over the Southern Ocean, this research study underscores the significant function played by the interactions between winding ocean currents and the ocean floor in driving the melting process.The Impact on Pine Island and Thwaites Ice ShelvesThe Pine Island and Thwaites ice racks are amongst the fastest-changing in Antarctica and are of specific interest due to their vulnerability to warming ocean waters.