The glaciers of East Antarctica are disappearing from the face of the Earth. What does it threaten?

The most common rock in the universe- it's ice. It is found on Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus, and some satellites practically consist of it. Our planet is no exception either: more than one tenth of the land is covered with "eternal" ice, and a fifth of the surface is covered with snow. Moreover, glaciers are the largest reservoirs of fresh water. As they begin to melt, the meltwater feeds the rivers and has a huge impact on the Earth's climate, which, as you probably know, is changing rapidly. Ice also plays a central role in climate, geology and life. NASA researchers recently released satellite imagery showing the state of Antarctica's largest ice shelf. Compared to images taken decades ago, sea ice extent has decreased by 26%. But why is the ice rapidly melting and what threatens it?

Ice shelves protect Antarctica from melting by insulating them from warm seawater.

Content

• 1 Ice is melting on the planet
• 2 Photos from space
• 3 The planet is getting warmer
• 4 The world is under threat

Ice is melting on the planet

The Konger Ice Shelf is located in the EasternAntarctica. Scientists have been studying it since the 1970s of the twentieth century. During this time, the glacier broke up into icebergs, and its length was significantly reduced as a result of a record rise in temperature in this region.

East Antarctica - one of the coldest and driest places on Earth.All the more surprising is the event that took place on March 15, 2022 - on this day the Conger Glacier collapsed into the ocean, becoming the first large-scale collapse of the ice shelf in East Antarctica in the history of mankind.

Ice shelves form whenice falls into the sea and ocean and goes on an exciting journey, drifting on the surface of the water. Such changes raise sea levels and clear the way for other glaciers. When many glaciers enter the sea and ocean, the situation becomes dangerous.

The melting of the ice sheet can be stopped if emissions are sufficiently reduced and wind patterns in the region stabilize.

“Such a loss of ice cover will inevitably lead to sea level rise in the coming decades,” the experts explain.

According to researchers, changes in the size and depth of lakes around the East Antarctic Ice Sheet could be a sign of destruction several ice shelves.And although scientists do not expect serious consequences from the collapse of the Conger, the melting of ice in this historically stable region may be a "preview" of things to come.

More on the topic: The sharp melting of glaciers in Greenland led to a rise in world sea levels

Photos from space

You can see the changes happening to the planetusing satellite images. Thus, the reduction of the ice cover is visible from space, and the status of East Antarctica as the coldest region of the planet is already in question. Temperature anomalies in March of this year reached East Antarctica.

When this happened, warm air swept throughcontinent, and the temperature at the Concordia research station rose from the usual minus 55 degrees Celsius to a record high of minus 11.5°C. Photographs taken by the Sentinel-2 spacecraft paint a sad picture.

Let me remind you that Sentinel-2 is a family of Earth remote sensing satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA)

Several icebergs have formed as a result of the collapse of the Konger Ice Shelf, according to available data.

The previous high recorded onstations in mid-December 2021 was -13.7°C. Along with the warming came an unusual amount of snowfall, prompting scientists to study satellite photos showing fresh snow covering ancient Antarctic ice.

The satellite photos, as the researchers predicted, are consistent with the impact of precipitation on glaciers - liquid water will seep into existing cracks in the ice and then begin to freeze.

We have accumulated 10 cm of snow. This is more than what usually falls in a year. It is more reminiscent of the French Alps than Antarctica, one of the employees of the research station told reporters.

Scientists also point to the main reasonunprecedented melting of glaciers and changes in precipitation - global warming. As the atmosphere gets warmer, it can hold more moisture, resulting in heavy snowfalls. For example, the German research station Konen has reported a 20 percent increase in snowfall over the past 20 years.

Ocean temperatures around the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are likely to continue to rise.

Although snowfall contributes toThe state of the ice sheet, academics believe that Antarctica will continue to lose mass in the future as warmer oceans and air thin the ice shelves. But even if scientists only have to prove the connection between climate change and the collapse of the glacier, it is not at all difficult to imagine that what is happening is interconnected.

Don't Miss: Glaciers Collapse in Antarctica: How Fast Water Levels Will Rise

The planet is getting warmer

So, on March 15, 2022, a large amount of heatand moisture from lower latitudes has caused light rain and ice melt on the Antarctic coast. These changes lead to the question of whether precipitation can make up for even a small percentage of the ice lost in the oceans around Antarctica.

The answer can hardly be called positive - eventhe anomalous amount of snow will not be able to compensate for the losses. Moreover, all ice shelves that are freed from continental ice have a direct impact on ocean levels. This, in turn, means that the water is heating up, but it is not possible to change the situation right now.

The earth is rapidly losing ice cover

Finally, if we look at the data for Marchthis year, global temperatures rose by about 0.39°C, setting another record. So we will remember March 2022 as the warmest month on record. Or not?

Read even more articles about how the planet is changing on our channel in Yandex.Zen - articles are regularly published there that are not on the site

If spring was cold in your city, don'tflatter yourself. The average temperature in Europe dropped by 0.43°C, which is less than the average for 1991-2020. Thus, March became the third coldest month in the last 10 years. The researchers also believe that such changes in the ice sheet are a sign that some ice shelves are on the verge of extinction.

The world is under threat

Mankind is on the verge of climate changecatastrophes, as confirmed by the latest report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Experts note that even if all measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are taken and fully implemented, this century the world will still warm up by 3.2°C.

The last few years have been decisivewhile the problems will grow every year. Thus, the world will inevitably face new diseases as changing climatic conditions make it easier for mosquito-borne dengue to spread. In the foreseeable future, disease will only increase, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.

Research stations face abnormally warm weather

If efforts cannot be made to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the number of disasters and their consequences could make the lives of millions of people hellish.

Don't Miss: What Disasters in 2021 Revealed the Reality of Global Warming

Scientists are also concerned that air emissionsEmissions are unevenly distributed - the richest countries are responsible for a disproportionate amount of emissions than developing countries. This is despite the fact that developing countries are facing more severe climate impacts.

The planet is rapidly losing ice cover

In short, the next few years will be decisiveSignificance - if emissions are not reduced by 2030, we will not be able to limit the coming warming this century. Fortunately, if we act right now, then the melting of glaciers, for example, can be stopped. Otherwise, our civilization has little chance. You can read about how entire empires disappeared from the face of the Earth here.