← All posts

Sea level rise due to Antarctic ice melt has tripled in the past five years, satellite measurements show

This is a guest post by Jeremy Leggett. Views are the author's own and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of MyGridGB or Dr Andrew Crossland.

The international Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise, using multiple satellites, shows most mass change is in West Antarctica.

“The reason that West Antarctica may be more vulnerable to melting than other regions is because it is largely made up of  “marine-based” glaciers, which sit on land below sea level. Where the face of a glacier meets the ocean, warm water can melt it from underneath, gradually forcing back the “grounding line”, which is where the glacier sits on the seabed.”

Image: from article