Massive Antarctica Glaciers Have Melted the Most in at Least 5,500 Years
Massive Antarctica Glaciers Have Melted the Most in at Least 5,500 Years
According to new scientific studies, the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers have witnessed extraordinary ice loss over the last 5,500 years, implying that the retreat may be irreversible.
According to new research published in Nature Geoscience, the two glaciers, both part of the west Antarctic ice sheet, formed in the mid-Holocene epoch, around 7,000 to 5,000 years ago, and have remained stable until recently. Given deep, warm currents, that part of Antarctica is rapidly retreating and thinning, with the two glaciers beneath melting.
A better knowledge of the glaciers' history could reduce the uncertainty about the behaviour of the west Antarctic ice sheet in future climate change scenarios. Melting glaciers might result in significant ice loss in that portion of Antarctica, contributing up to 3.4 metres to global sea level rise over the following few centuries.
The study focused on three islands in the Amundsen Sea Embayment and their beaches. Radiocarbon testing was done on shells dating back to when the beaches were formed, which was 5,500 years ago. Scientists were able to quantify the level of the water over time by examining shells collected at various altitudes on the islands.
According to scientists, the recorded sea level precision does not account for marginal changes of the two glaciers. However, there is no indication that the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers were ever significantly smaller than they are today.
Over the last three decades, the melting of these glaciers has doubled at a rate not witnessed in the last 5,500 years. Scientists will drill into the glacier ice and collect more samples to better understand whether current melting rates are reversible or not.
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