The situation in Antarctica worries scientists about “uncontrolled melting” of the continent’s ice caps. According to a study published this Tuesday, June 25, a possible climatic tipping point could be reached.
According to a study published this Tuesday, June 25 in the journal Nature Geoscience, a new “tipping point” could be crossed in Antarctica, leading the ice caps to undergo “uncontrolled melting”. This tipping point designates a critical threshold for the planet in general. Scientists are sounding the alarm about this phenomenon which could have irreversible consequences.
These scientists’ fears are linked to the fact that ocean water, ever warmer due to global warming, is seeping between the ice and the land on which it forms. A threat that is not without risks.
What is causing this phenomenon in Antarctica?
The phenomenon named “tipping point” by the researchers is the result of the intrusion of seawater heated by climate change. According to the researchers, seawater warmed by the temperatures would slide between the coastal ice caps and the soil that supports them. This would then further increase the melting of the ice sheetespecially in Antarctica. A rupture is then caused, leading to the falling ice that lands directly in the sea.
Researchers, through computer models, notice a “very small increase” of the water temperature. Ultimately, this can lead to a level of loss of ice. “Ice sheets are very sensitive to melting in their anchoring areas. We find that grounding zone melting exhibits tipping point-like behavior, where a very small change in ocean temperature can cause a very large increase in grounding zone melting. grounding, which would cause a very large change in the flow of the ice above”explains Alex Bradley, researcher in ice dynamics, in a press release.
A risk of sea rise…
The study published on Tuesday June 25 in the journal Nature Geoscience highlights the importance of not underestimating glacial melt. Indeed, this “can lead to a tipping point being exceeded, beyond which ocean water infiltrates without limit under the ice cap, causing uncontrollable melting”, warns the study. .
This situation could lead to a rise in sea level. When accelerated melting exceeds the formation of new ice on the continent, this rise threatens coastal populations from all over the world.
…and a point of no return
This small change in water temperature therefore has harmful repercussions. With the acceleration of the melting of the ice, the consequences are direct. This change in the anchorage zone, where the ice and the ground meet the sea, is then definitive and confronts us with a point of no return.
This is a worrying situation because it witnesses the ravages of global warming.
