Satellite Data Track Antarctica's Ice Cliffs Over Time
A new study using satellite data reveals that Antarctic ice cliffs collapse faster than previously modeled but stabilize more quickly, preventing a runaway effect. This suggests that the contribution of ice cliff collapse to global sea level rise may be less severe than feared.
Why it matters
Understanding the mechanics of ice sheet stability is crucial for accurate climate change modeling and predicting future sea level rise.
With rising temperatures, the buttressing ice shelves at the edges the Antarctic ice sheet are melting and calving off at record rates, leaving behind sheer cliffs of solid ice. The stability of these exposed ice cliffs could influence how Antarctica further breaks apart and contributes to sea level rise around the world.
Scientists have assumed that an ice cliff's stability depends on its height: Ice cliffs that are taller than 100 meters - about the height of the Statue of Liberty - should collapse under their own weight. And once a cliff sloughs off, it should expose even taller, inland cliffs that collapse in turn. At least, that's been the idea.
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