Nature Communications, 23 April 2024
Weakened deep ocean mixing and sea ice loss could tip currently stable regions of West Antarctica across a threshold into extensive retreat for thousands of years, and this outcome can only be avoided with steep cuts in carbon emissions. This study unravels past ice sheet behavior to predict how it will react to future warming. Geological records reveal that stable coastal areas along the Ross Ice Shelf dramatically retreated thousands of years ago when a lack of sea ice removed the natural cold-water barrier preventing warm ocean currents from eroding the ice shelf. While retreating regions of West Antarctica such as the Amundsen sector are already committed to produce a certain amount of sea-level rise this century, these findings reiterate the need for urgent mitigation to prevent stable regions from producing similar ice loss in the near future.
Full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47369-3
Plain-language briefing: https://theconversation.com/west-antarcticas-ice-sheet-was-smaller-thousands-of-years-ago-heres-why-this-matters-today-225670
ICIMOD, April 24, 2026 2026 marks the fourth consecutive year of below-average snow conditions in…
Ocean Science, 20 Apr 2026 Global warming and increased freshwater input from melting ice are…
Science, 23 Apr 2026 Specially-adapted species living in glacier regions face rapid snowpack and ice…
Science Advances, 24 Apr 2026 Observations from the grounding zone beneath the Ross Ice Shelf…
The Hindu Kush Himalaya faces rising climate extremes that threaten mountain communities, demanding a shift…
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 23 April 2026 Observations suggest we are currently tracking…