Freshwater Discharge from Antarctica Shows Major Impacts on Future Climate

Science Advances, September 23

Under moderate and high emissions scenarios, the discharge of vast amounts of meltwater from the Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Southern Ocean could affect ocean currents and regional/global climate patterns due to impacts on the overturning ocean circulation.  The faster the ice sheet melts, the more cold freshwater flows into the Southern Ocean.  This could lead to a temporary cooling effect on air temperatures around Antarctica, while ocean and air temperatures elsewhere would continue warming. The future of the ice sheet hence depends on this interplay between atmospheric and oceanic processes. The temporary cooling effect disappears more quickly under high emissions scenarios.

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/39/eaaz1169

Compiled by Amy Imdieke

Pam Pearson

Recent Posts

Record Low Snow in Hindu Kush Himalaya Threatens Water Supply

ICIMOD, April 24, 2026 2026 marks the fourth consecutive year of below-average snow conditions in…

2 weeks ago

Global Warming Weakens AMOC While Temporarily Strengthening Nordic Overturning Circulation

Ocean Science, 20 Apr 2026 Global warming and increased freshwater input from melting ice are…

2 weeks ago

Lack of Monitoring for Glacier Biodiversity: A Critical Gap in EU Policy

Science, 23 Apr 2026 Specially-adapted species living in glacier regions face rapid snowpack and ice…

2 weeks ago

Tides and Ocean Layering Shape Ice Shelf Melt, Impacting Antarctic Sea-Level Rise Projections

Science Advances, 24 Apr 2026 Observations from the grounding zone beneath the Ross Ice Shelf…

2 weeks ago

COP30 Video of the Week: Forecast-Based Financing and Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

The Hindu Kush Himalaya faces rising climate extremes that threaten mountain communities, demanding a shift…

2 weeks ago

Without Emissions Cuts, A Real Risk of Extreme Sea-level Rise by 2100

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 23 April 2026 Observations suggest we are currently tracking…

4 weeks ago