Ocean Warming Drives Year-round Ice Loss from Arctic Glaciers

Nature Communications, 2 December 2024

Research from the Norwegian Polar Institute studied ice loss from calving glaciers in the Arctic, focusing on the Austfonna ice cap in Svalbard. Researchers combined satellite data with ocean records and runoff models from 2018-2022. They found that melting and breaking happen mainly in autumn, even for fast-flowing glaciers. In contrast to earlier findings, ocean temperature rather than air temperature is the primary cause of ice loss. Austfonna is Europe’s third-largest glacier by area and volume. The study reveals that this glacier has continued to melt year-round, even during the dark and colder months of winter and fall. Based on this study, continued ocean and atmospheric warming can drive greater ice loss and sea-level rise even in high latitude polar regions.

Full Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54825-7
News coverage from “The Barents Observer”: https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/news/surprising-discovery-about-svalbards-largest-glacier/425753