A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications has found that meandering ocean currents play a significant role in the melting of ice shelves in Antarctica. This phenomenon could lead to a substantial rise in sea levels.
In the study, scientists observed that the interaction between the meandering currents and the ocean floor increases water velocity, transporting warm water to shallower depths. The warmer seawater then affects the ice shelves, causing them to melt more rapidly. Prior to this research, most people believed that the primary cause of ice shelf melting was the winds blowing across the Southern Ocean.
Ice drift at Chiriguano Bay, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN).
The research focused on two ice shelves in Antarctica known as Pine Island and Thwaites. These ice shelves are changing rapidly and are particularly vulnerable to warming seawater.
They act as significant barriers, preventing the glaciers behind them from flowing into the ocean. Therefore, if these ice shelves were to melt and collapse, global sea levels could rise, posing challenges to coastal communities.
In the study, scientists investigated a layer of warm water located beneath the cold surface and referred to this layer as “Modified Deep Circulation Water.” Taewook Park, one of the research team members, explained that the intensity and path of the current around the ice shelf directly influences the amount of warm water flowing in, which affects the melting rate of the ice shelves.
Until now, it was thought that northwesterly winds in the Amundsen Sea pushed currents along the ice shelves, bringing warmer water towards them. This phenomenon was believed to occur more frequently during El Niño events. However, the new study contradicts this argument.
This research presents a new approach to understanding the causes of ice shelf melting in Antarctica, highlighting the greater role of ocean currents compared to previous assumptions. With this new information, scientists will need to reassess the impact of winds on the loss of ice in Antarctica, potentially altering future predictions.
The study was conducted by scientists from the Korean Polar Research Institute, Hokkaido University in Japan, and Seoul National University.
