Antarctica’s Glaciers Speed Up in Summer
Researchers have discovered that glaciers along Antarctica’s coastline move faster during the summer due to melting snow and warmer ocean waters. Typically, these glaciers travel about one kilometer annually, but their speed increases by up to 22% in warmer months. This finding helps scientists understand how climate change might impact glaciers and sea levels.
Research Details
A team led by the University of Leeds analyzed over 10,000 satellite images from 2014 to 2021 to study glacier flow changes on the Antarctic Peninsula. This region is the largest frozen water reservoir on Earth, and its melting has raised global sea levels by approximately 7.6 mm between 1992 and 2017.
Key Findings
Ben Wallis, a doctoral researcher, highlighted the sensitivity of Antarctic glaciers to environmental changes. The study, published in Nature Geosciences, shows that like Greenland, Antarctica’s glaciers also exhibit seasonal behavior.
Dr. Anna Hogg, an associate professor at Leeds, emphasized the rapid warming of the Antarctic Peninsula and the importance of ongoing research to monitor these changes.
Satellite Technology
The European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, equipped with synthetic aperture radar, provided crucial data for this study. Craig Donlon from the ESA noted the importance of high-resolution satellite images in monitoring environmental changes in remote areas.
The study’s authors include Ben Wallis, Anna Hogg, Ben Davison from the University of Leeds, and Jan Melchior van Wessem and Michiel van den Broeke from Utrecht’s Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research.
Doubts Revealed
Antarctica -: Antarctica is a very cold and icy continent at the bottom of the Earth. It is covered with ice and snow all year round.
Glaciers -: Glaciers are huge masses of ice that move slowly over land. They are like frozen rivers that can change the shape of the land as they move.
University of Leeds -: The University of Leeds is a big school in England where people study and do research on many different topics, including climate and the environment.
Satellite images -: Satellite images are pictures of the Earth taken from space. They help scientists see and study things like glaciers from far away.
Antarctic Peninsula -: The Antarctic Peninsula is a part of Antarctica that sticks out towards South America. It is one of the warmest parts of Antarctica and has a lot of glaciers.
Sea levels -: Sea levels refer to the height of the ocean’s surface. When glaciers melt, they add more water to the ocean, which can make sea levels rise.
Climate change -: Climate change is when the Earth’s weather patterns change over a long time. It can cause things like warmer temperatures and melting ice.
