It’s about the size of Spain, stretches 800km - and protects the planet from a whopping 5 metres of rising sea levels
The Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica is the world's largest ice shelf and plays a critical role in regulating global sea levels. Scientists are closely monitoring its movement and stability, as changes to this massive structure could have significant implications for climate change.
Why it matters
Understanding the dynamics of the Ross Ice Shelf is essential for predicting future sea-level rise and the broader impacts of climate change on the planet.
Ice shelves are large platforms of glacial ice floating on the ocean, fed by glaciers. They are found in Antarctica and the Arctic (Greenland, Northern Canada and the Russian Arctic) and are critical to regulate global sea levels.
The largest in the world is the Ross Ice Shelf – here’s what it is, how it was found and why scientists are watching it so closely.
The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf in the world, with an area of roughly 500,809km 2 (about the size of Spain) and around 800km across. It floats in the southern portion of Antarctica’s Ross Sea, looming over the surrounding waters.
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