Deep Ocean Heat Shift Toward Antarctica Could Affect Ice Shelves
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A new study using decades of ocean data has found evidence that heat from the deep ocean is shifting toward Antarctica. This shift could affect the stability of Antarctic ice shelves, which help hold back inland glaciers containing enough water to raise global sea levels by approximately 58 meters.
Facts First
- Heat from the deep ocean is shifting toward Antarctica according to a study analyzing decades of data.
- A warm body of water called 'circumpolar deep water' has expanded and moved closer to the Antarctic continental shelf over the past two decades.
- The study used data from Argo floats and machine learning to reconstruct a month-by-month record of ocean conditions over the last 40 years.
- Antarctica's inland glaciers and ice sheets contain enough water to raise global sea levels by approximately 58 meters.
- Climate models suggest less cold, dense water will form around Antarctica, which could allow warmer circumpolar deep water to move closer.
What Happened
A study led by the University of Cambridge and the University of California analyzed decades of ocean data and found evidence that heat from the deep ocean is shifting toward Antarctica. A body of relatively warm water called 'circumpolar deep water' has expanded and moved closer to the Antarctic continental shelf over the past two decades. The research team used data from a global network of autonomous drifting instruments known as Argo floats and applied machine learning techniques to merge this data with patterns from historical ship measurements. This allowed them to reconstruct a month-by-month record of ocean conditions over the last 40 years.
Why this Matters to You
The stability of Antarctic ice shelves... could be affected by this shift in ocean heat. Antarctica's inland glaciers and ice sheets contain enough water to raise global sea levels by approximately 58 meters. Changes to these ice shelves could therefore have long-term implications for global sea levels, which may affect coastal communities worldwide.
What's Next
Climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that rising air temperatures and increased freshwater from melting ice are reducing the formation of dense water in the North Atlantic, which could weaken the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Models also indicate that less cold, dense water will form around Antarctica, which could allow warmer circumpolar deep water to move closer to the continent. The continued use of Argo floats and advanced analysis techniques may provide clearer month-by-month monitoring of these ocean changes.