Largest ice shelf in the world show 10 times faster to melt than thought

Science, An international team of scientists has discovered that the largest ice shelf in the world, but up to 10 times faster melt than thought. It comes to the Ross ice shelf in Antarctica, with an area of nearly half a million square kilometers, about as large as France.

The study was carried out over a period of 4 years and charted how the northwestern sector of the hundreds of meters thick ice shelf responds to ocean where she floats. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.

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“it is Generally accepted that the stability of ijsplaten related to the extent to which they are exposed to warm ocean waters from the depths. However, we have discovered that surface water that is heated by the sun also plays a crucial role in the melting of ijsplaten,” said author Craig Stewart of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand on the website of the British University of Cambridge. He did his research when he doctoraatstudent was. the


The team collected data by instruments lowered into a borehole of 260 feet deep, under the ice shelf on release. They brought with them include temperature, salinity, smeltgraad and ocean currents map. There was also an exceptionally accurate technique used to monitor changes in the thickness of the ice shelf to register. (read on below)