Researchers have analyzed the ice in Denman Glacier, a 20 kilometers glacier situated in East Antarctica. A recently published study is gathering the information obtained utilizing 20 years of satellite surveys and data collecting. The research is underlining that the western flank of Antarctica has retreated with almost 5 kilometers over the past three decades.
The results are even more worrying since the researchers have discovered the presence of a canyon below the Glacier that is determining growth in the Glacier’s speed of melting. What is even more alarming is that the presence of the canyon has an unprecedented impact since the recovery of the ice is impossible. The Glacier is positioned on top of the deepest known piece of land on Earth. The record is stating that the canyon is 3.500 meters below the sea level.
Massive Antarctica Galcier Is Melting
At the moment, the depth of the canyon is covered by the melting glacier. The researchers are stating that sooner or later, the hot waters of the ocean will infiltrate in the canyon, causing the Glacier to melt even faster than before. This is probably the point when there is nothing else more that we can do.
The shape of the ground beneath the Western side of Denman is a potential threat to our planet. The leading researcher, Virginia Brancato, from the NASA’s Propulsion Laboratory is suggesting that the melting of this ice will cause a severe increase in the levels of the sea during the upcoming period.
The glaciers are giant piles of ice that finish with a long shelf built as a “tongue,” where their edges split into several pieces that are called icebergs. The icebergs reach the open ocean and float freely until it encounters the grounding line. From that point, the ice enters the warm ocean water that causes it to melt and raise the level of the ocean.
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