Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet holds enough ice to raise sea levels by 13 to 16.4 feet, with areas like the Thwaites Glacier at risk due to warming waters.
An international team, including Molly Patterson from Binghamton University, is drilling for geological records under the Ross Ice Shelf to predict future melting.
Researchers are melting through 580 meters of ice and drilling 200 meters into the seabed to retrieve sediment cores near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Last year’s drilling attempt failed due to technical issues after reaching the seafloor—700 miles from the nearest base and in one of Earth’s most challenging environments.
Credit: icedrill.org
Sediments from the last interglacial period, 125,000 years ago, will show how the ice sheet behaved during warmer temperatures, similar to today’s climate.
If researchers uncover marine algae in the sediment core, it would indicate open ocean conditions, confirming significant ice retreat in past warming periods.
Credit: icedrill.org
The SWAIS2C team views the project as crucial for understanding and adapting to future sea-level rise while emphasizing the urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Credit: Antarctica New Zealand
“The international partnership shows how global teams can tackle the most pressing questions on climate change,” said Patterson, co-chief scientist of the SWAIS2C project.
Credit: Kathy Kasic
The findings aim to inform plans for mitigating sea-level rise impacts while mapping the areas of the ice sheet most vulnerable to melting in future warming scenarios.
Credit: Antarctica New Zealand