Experts Reveal How Antarctic Ice Melted 9,000 Years Ago — a Warning Sign We Can’t Ignore
Antarctica is one of the most mind-blowing and fragile places on our planet. But its massive ice sheets are now becoming extremely sensitive to even minor changes in the atmosphere around them. For instance, a rise in ocean and air temperatures can accelerate the melting of ice, disrupting the ecosystem. This also highlights that Antarctica is a critical yet valuable indicator of Earth’s overall condition. In recent news, it has been reported that around 9,000 years ago, Antarctica began to melt from within. This concerning scenario was caused by a powerful feedback loop occurring between the ocean currents and their melting ice sheets.
A group of researchers from the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) and the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) conducted extensive research in this regard. The findings of the research were revealed in a study titled, ‘Antarctic ice-shelf collapse in Holocene driven by meltwater release feedbacks.’ It was published in the journal Nature Geoscience. It reveals the details about a process in which ice melting in one part of Antarctica can cause melting in other areas through connected ocean currents. This chain reaction is termed as cascading positive feedback, as reported by Science Daily.
As per the recent data, the East Antarctic ice sheet, which holds over half of the world’s freshwater, is rapidly losing ice in some coastal areas. Therefore, scientists carefully analyzed marine sediments from Lützow-Holm Bay and geological surveys in Dronning Maud Land, collected over decades by Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions, to understand how it responded to past warm phases. With the help of marine samples and climate models, they found that about 9,000 years ago, meltwater from other regions led the warm water to reach East Antarctica, creating a cycle.
Although this incident occurred thousands of years ago, the same process can still occur today. As per the official data, warm water is already getting under some parts of the West Antarctic ice sheet, like Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers, causing rapid melting. If the same chain reaction occurs now, it could make the global sea levels rise faster than expected. Professor Yusuke Suganuma spoke about the recent findings and said, "This study provides essential data and modeling evidence that will facilitate more accurate predictions of future Antarctic ice-sheet behavior. The cascading feedbacks identified in this study serve to underscore the notion that minor regional alterations can potentially engender global ramifications."
Meanwhile, just a few days ago, Dr. Nerilie Abram, who is a Chief Scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division, emphasized that the key to preventing sudden changes in Antarctica—and the harmful effects they could cause—is to try and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep global warming in check, as reported by Science Daily. She further stated that governments, industries, and other major communities should start considering these fast Antarctic changes when planning for climate impacts. If not, the loss of sea ice could threaten the environment in many ways, including the loss of wildlife habitats.
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