Melting Antarctic glaciers could push sea levels up by 3.4 meters

The Totten Glacier on the East Antarctic Ice Shelf is melting from below, threatening to raise sea levels by more than 3.4 metres.

New research by scientists at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, concluded that strong winds blowing over the Southern Ocean carry warm water to Totten, causing the largest glacier in East Antarctica to melt from below. The team of experts warned that these winds will become more intense due to climate change,Long Roomyesterday news

In the study, scientists used satellite imagery and wind stress data to study the effects of wind on the water beneath the glacier. The analysis showed that the rate of glacier melt increased when there were strong winds in the Southern Ocean.

Totten Glacier melting from below. Photo: University of Texas.

Winds warm deep-sea water in a process called upwelling. The warm water is pushed up the continental shelf and, as it nears shore, circulates beneath the floating part of the glacier, causing the ice shelf to melt from below.

"Totten is called the sleeping giant because of its massive size and is considered insensitive to changes in its environment. But if Totten is sleeping, we see signs of disturbance, and it may be that a gust of wind is enough to wake the glacier," said Chad Greene, a graduate student at the Texas Geophysical Institute.

Wind strength varies from year to year, the team said. But climate change will cause stronger winds in the Southern Ocean, which will affect the melting of the Totten Glacier. This process does not require rising air or sea temperatures. Instead, upwelling occurs when winds disturb surface waters, making way for warmer water from deeper waters.

"It's like when you blow on a hot bowl of noodles and the noodles underneath start to spin and rise to the surface," Greene explains.

According to VNE