Antarctica Could Be Hit By ‘Chain Reaction’ Collapse

ANTARCTICA — As melting ice in Antarctica exposes land beneath it, the chain of processes set off may be capable of causing the sheet to collapse, according to a study in Nature Geoscience.


Researchers looked at Earth 13 to 17 million years ago when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and global temperatures reached levels similar to those expected by the end of this century, and said when ice sheets melt, the exposed land beneath is less reflective, so local temperatures become warmer.


This can drastically alter weather patterns because Antarctic winds usually blow from the continent out to the sea, but if the continent warms up that could be reversed, with winds blowing from the cooler sea to the warmer land.


That would bring additional rainfall to the Antarctic, which in turn would cause more freshwater to run into the sea, according to a University of Exeter news release on Eurekalert.


Finally, because freshwater is less dense than saltwater, it is less likely to sink and circulate, which means warmer water simply sits on top of the ocean, causing more warming.