Evidence has been uncovered by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Free University of Brussels indicating that the melting of Antarctic ice impacts global climate change through its effect on the Southern Ocean. As water escapes from the Antarctic ice sheet, it causes stratification of the surrounding waters.
Over the past three million years, our planet’s climate has oscillated between cold and warm phases across numerous epochs. These shifts coincided with the disappearance of vast ice sheets. The findings of this study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The ocean functions like a massive apparatus responsible for redistributing heat and carbon globally. According to the scientists behind this project, when this mechanism becomes layered or stratified, its efficiency is diminished.
The researchers attribute the sustained influx of freshwater from melting Antarctic ice, combined with the influence of westerly winds, to the upwelling of deeper ocean waters. They point out that this phenomenon is an indicator of warming trends and the conclusion of glacial periods.
Previously, we reported on scientific investigations that showed how certain glaciers, known as surging glaciers, can rapidly advance after periods of stasis. Such activity poses a risk to the environment and the populations residing nearby.
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