Disturbing new research suggests warm water is pouring into the world's largest ice sheet in Antarctica
Warmer water is flowing toward the East Antarctic ice sheet, according to our alarming new research that reveals new potential drivers of global sea level rise. Author Laura Herraiz Borreguero Physical oceanographer, CSIRO Alberto Naveira Garabato Professor, National Center for Oceanography, University of Southampton Jess Melbourne-Thomas Transdisciplinary Researcher & Knowledge Broker, CSIRO The research, published today in Nature Climate Change, suggests changes in water circulation in the Southern Ocean could jeopardize the stability of the East Antarctic ice sheet. The ice sheet, the size of the United States, is the largest in the world. Changes in water circulation are caused by shifting wind patterns, and are linked to factors including climate change. Warmer waters and rising sea levels can damage marine life and threaten human coastal settlements. Our findings underscore the urgency of limiting global warming to below 1.5℃, to prevent the most catastrophic