Descriptions:
A new study suggests that the East Antarctica Ice Sheet in the Wilkes Basin may have completely disappeared around 400,000 years ago. Currently the Wilkes Basin is only hold back by the Cook, Mertz, and the Ninnis Glacier – the Cook Glacier shelf has already collapsed. There is also the Totten Glacier farther to the east, part of the Aurora Basin, also prone to warmer water at the grounding line, elevation has changed, though the topography is not favorable for rapid retreat in this case. Nevertheless, observations remain scarce, and the Wilkes Basin ice sheet may be the real elephant in the room.
Reference
- Ice retreat in Wilkes Basin of East Antarctica during a warm interglacial https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2484-5
- Biggest ice sheet on Earth more vulnerable to melting than thought https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/07/east-antarctic-ice-sheet-more-vulnerable-to-melting-than-thought/
- The Antarctic Report: How does past climate change inform us about future sea-level rise? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqWy7qEe-lc
- Ice plug prevents irreversible discharge from East Antarctica https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2226 PDF http://www.pik-potsdam.de/~anders/publications/mengel_levermann14.pdf
- Velocity increases at Cook Glacier, East Antarctica, linked to ice shelf loss and a subglacial flood event https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/12/3123/2018/
- ANSMET Elephant Moraine https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf98106/98106htm/nsf98106b2.html
- 1950s Atomic Radiation Instructional Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7CfZicBiOk
- Antarctica Secrets: Scenic Journey to the Bottom of a Lake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZotS8ZiOGg
- Julie Brigham-Grette presents Lake El’ gygytgyn Research / Marine Isotope Stage 11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxbOSB7zDgY
- Exploring the Alien World of Brine Pools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJubNqLyCY
- The JOIDES Resolution: A Journey to Discover Antarctica’s Future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0d7DcPsuZU
- Totten Glacier: Impact of East Antarctic glacial melt on sea-level rise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYFqFpmJvLQ
Related
- A dynamic early East Antarctic Ice Sheet suggested by ice-covered fjord landscapes https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10114
- The State of Wilkes Basin Glaciers https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,3218.0.html
- Antarctic ice sheets capable of retreating up to 50 meters per day https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200528160547.htm