2023-10-27 06:00:04
Antarctica is experiencing considerable ice loss, a worrying phenomenon for climate experts. A new study reveals that since 1997, 48 of the continent’s ice shelves have lost at least 30% of their mass.
This November 10, 2016 photo, released by NASA, shows a crack in the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica (pronounced Antarctica (pronounced [ɑ̃.taʁk.tik] Listen) is the continent most…).
Credit: John Sonntag/NASA
Of the continent’s 162 ice shelves, 68 show significant shrinkage between 1997 and 2021. According to the study published in the journal Science Advances, 29 shelves increased in size, 62 remained stable and three lost mass (The term mass is used to designate two quantities attached to a…) without showing a significant trend. Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado, stresses the importance of understanding these ice losses. solid state.) to anticipate the future of Antarctica.
The melting of the ice in Antarctica is notably due to the detachment of massive icebergs and the warming of the waters. It causes sea levels to rise, making water less dense and less salty. The biggest culprits are the giant icebergs that broke off in 1999, 2000 and 2002, the study said.
This satellite image provided by NASA shows icebergs formed following the collapse of an ice shelf.
Credit: Dr. Christopher A. Shuman, UMBC/NASA
Benjamin Davison, glaciologist at the University of Leeds and lead author of the study, emphasizes the individual losses of the platforms. Four of them lost more than a trillion tons of ice. The Thwaites glacier, nicknamed “Doomsday”, has lost 70% of its mass since 1997, or around 4.1 trillion tons.
The Wordie, which holds four glaciers near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, has suffered a loss of 87% of its mass since 1997. The Larsen A, B and C ice shelves have also suffered significant losses.
Davison adds that it is difficult to directly link these losses to human-caused climate change, but that steady wear and tear is expected with global warming.
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