Antarctic ice shelves vulnerable to sudden meltwater-driven fracturing, says study
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - 14:31
in Earth & Climate
A new study says that many of the ice shelves ringing Antarctica could be vulnerable to quick destruction if rising temperatures drive melt water into the numerous fractures that currently penetrate their surfaces. The shelves help slow interior glaciers' slide toward the ocean, so if they were to fail, sea levels around the world could surge rapidly as a result.