Scientists have calculated how much ice has melted in Antarctica in 25 years
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Scientists estimate that Antarctica has lost about 7.5 trillion tons of ice since 1997.
This is more than 40% of the ice shelf, writes The Guardian with reference to the scientific print magazine Scientific Advances.
Scientists from the University of Leeds estimate that 67 trillion tonnes of ice was lost in the west, while 59 trillion tonnes was added in the east between 1997 and 2021, resulting in a net loss of 7.5 trillion tonnes.
The ice shelf is a continuation of the glacier and slows down the flow of its debris into the sea. When they melt, glaciers release more fresh water into the sea. This can lead to disruption of the currents of the Southern Ocean.
| Photo: mtellioglu/Depositphotos |
“There is a mixed picture of ice shelf deterioration, and it is related to ocean temperatures and ocean currents around Antarctica.
The western half is exposed to warm water that can quickly erode the ice shelf below, while most of eastern Antarctica is now protected from warm water near the coast by a strip of cold water.”– said Dr. Benjamin Davison, an expert in the field of Earth observation and the head of the study.
Researchers looked at more than 100,000 satellite images to analyze the condition of the ice shelf. They determined that over 25 years, approximately 67 million tons of fresh water entered the ocean.
Scientists believe that the loss of ice is a result of the climate crisis because the ice would recover if the melting was part of a cycle of natural change.
“We would expect most ice shelves to go through cycles of rapid but short-lived shrinkage followed by slow regrowth. Instead, we see nearly half of them declining with no sign of recovery“, the scientist added.
It will be recalled that recently researchers also established that Antarctica is heating up and melting faster than previous forecasts.
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