Antarctica's Ice Shelves Threatened by Rising Ocean Heat
Antarctica's Ice Shelves Threatened by Rising Ocean Heat
US · Published Apr 29, 2026
Rising ocean temperatures are causing Antarctic ice shelves to melt from below due to the intrusion of warm circumpolar deep water.
The Southern Ocean's role in regulating global heat and carbon storage is being disrupted, impacting the stability of Antarctic ice shelves.
Continued monitoring and international collaboration are crucial for understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change on Antarctica's ice sheets and global sea levels.
Rising ocean temperatures threaten Antarctica's ice shelves
Recent research highlights the increasing threat to Antarctica's ice shelves from rising ocean temperatures. The melting is driven by the intrusion of circumpolar deep water (CDW), a warm and salty water mass trapped beneath the ice sheets. This heat source has expanded over the past two decades, moving closer to the Antarctic continental shelf and accelerating the melting process.
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