Study in Antarctic waters reveals why Ross Ice Shelf melts in summer

A new paper by researchers at the Earth Institute at Columbia University offers fresh insights into the forces causing the world's largest ice shelf to melt.

The edge of Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf, more than 80 feet above the ocean surface. Photo: Beth Burton

The Ross Ice Shelf, a part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet that is floating on the ocean, measures several hundred meters thick and covers more than 480,000 square kilometers, approximately the size of Spain.

Its magnitude, and the fact that thinning of the ice shelf will speed up the flow of Antarctica's ice sheets into the ocean, means that increased melting of the shelf carries significant potential for sea level rise. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence annual shelf melt rates is critical for predicting climate impacts on sea level changes over the next few centuries.

A study reveals that local and regional factors influence the Ross Ice Shelf's stability, and highlights connections between the Ross and Amundsen Seas, refining predictions of how climate may influence melt rates in the future.

The study comes out of the ROSETTA-Ice project, a three-year effort to collect geologic, oceanographic and glaciological data in the Ross Sea region.

The ROSETTA-Ice project has produced numerous findings about how the Ross Ice Shelf has changed over time. The results from this study highlight how local ocean currents and weather conditions can have significant impacts on a large mass of ice, indicating that models used to predict Antarctic ice loss in future climates need to consider both local and regional conditions. (National Science Foundation)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Algae-killing viruses spur nutrient recycling in oceans

Scientists have confirmed that viruses can kill marine algae called diatoms, but diatom die-offs near the ocean surface may provide nutrients and organic matter for recycling by other algae.

Satellites Find Biggest Seaweed Bloom in the World

Scientists at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg's College of Marine Science used NASA satellite observations to discover and document the largest bloom of macroalgae in the world, dubbed the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt.

Rosy health and sickly green: color associations play robust role in reading faces

Anyone who has ever sensed that a person is sick simply by looking at their face has experienced the wealth of information conveyed by face color. A new study provides evidence that the human brain’s visual system is especially sensitive to the color of faces compared to the colors of other objects or things.

Mango leaf extract can stop ships from rusting

A team of Indian scientists has developed a compound from the leaf of the mango (Mangifera indica) tree that can protect ships from rusting and which is far more efficient than synthetic paints while also being non-toxic and environment-friendly.

Researchers identify the maximum weight that children should carry in their school backpacks

Scientists from the University of Granada and Liverpool John Moores University (UK) have established that school children who use backpacks should avoid loads of more than 10% of their body weight—and those who use trolleys, 20% of their body weight.

Neanderthals used resin 'glue' for tools

Two caves -- the Grotta del Fossellone and Grotta di Sant'Agostino -- near the beaches of what is now Italy's west coast are producing some of the earliest evidence of ancient humans using adhesive on their stone tools, an important technological advance called "hafting."