The Earth could change shape due to global warming.

The Earth's crust could be reshaped by the movement of massive ice sheets, a consequence of global warming.

Global warming is on the rise. (Illustration: Gregladen)

In a study published in Nature on October 1st, Michele Koppes of the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia compared glaciers in Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Koppes and her colleagues found that glaciers in Patagonia have higher temperatures, move faster, and cause more erosion than those in Antarctica. This is because the high temperatures and melting ice contribute to "lubricating" the glacier's bottom.

"We discovered that glaciers in Patagonia are eroding 100 to 1,000 times faster than those in Antarctica," Science Daily quoted Koppes as saying.

"Antarctica is warming, and when temperatures reach above 0°C, all the glaciers will move faster. We see massive ice sheets beginning to move more quickly, causing more severe erosion, creating deeper valleys, and pushing more land and rocks into the ocean." This process will significantly alter the shape of the Earth's crust, scientists say.

This erosion further complicates the impacts of climate change on the polar regions. Faster-moving glaciers increase sediment deposition downstream and on the continental shelf, potentially affecting fisheries, dams, and access to clean water for mountain communities.

"The polar continental margins are particularly biodiversity hotspots. If you introduce more sediment into the water, you're essentially changing the underwater habitat," Koppes said.

The Arctic, one of the fastest-warming places in the world, will suffer profound consequences. A 4°C temperature increase over the past 50 years has put glaciers on the brink of major change. We will see them move 100 times faster if the climate changes and temperatures remain above 0°C.

Koppes and colleagues' findings also answer a controversial question in the scientific community: when do glaciers have the greatest impact on shaping the Earth's landscape and topography? Glaciers cause the most intense erosion near the end of each ice age, not during periods of heavy ice cover. The largest ice age in the Vancouver area ended approximately 12,500 years ago.

According to VnExpress