Lead author Dr. Eric Wolff from Cambridge University summarized a recent Nature paper on the stability of West Antarctica during the Last Inter-Glacial 125,000 years ago. Temperatures were about 3°C warmer in the region than pre-industrial during this time, and global sea levels at least 5 and up to 10 meters higher; yet the key Ronne Ice Shelf on the Weddell Sea appears to have remained in place, indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet must not have collapsed completely. This means that West Antarctica was not the only major contributor to sea-level rise during this period, indicating that Greenland and likely East Antarctica both lost significant ice.
Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5hN5Zmo2x0
Full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08394-w
News coverage by the British Antarctic Survey: https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/ancient-antarctic-ice-loss-offers-insights-into-future-climate-scenarios/
By Emily Jacobson, Science Writing Intern; Amy Imdieke, Global Outreach Director; and Pam Pearson, Director of ICCI.
Published Feb. 10, 2025 Updated Feb. 10, 2025 11:01 pm
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