A new paper about the Antarctic Ice Sheet in a special issue of Science reviews critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of how Antarctica responds to variations in global climate. Led by Scripps Oceanography glaciologist Helen Amanda Fricker, with ESR’s Laurie Padman as a co-author, the paper emphasizes the importance of Antarctica as a vital component of Earth’s climate system.
The ice sheet is the largest freshwater reservoir on Earth but has been losing mass at its edges, contributing to rising sea levels and freshening oceans. The sea ice around Antarctica has also dramatically declined over the past decade. The authors summarize the complexity of critical portions of the ice sheet, and ice loss processes, as a roadmap to direct future studies.
To fully understand this component of the Earth’s climate system, substantial progress is needed in modeling, and measurements through new high-resolution satellite missions and targeted fieldwork. Progress will require increased investments in polar research, training of the next generation of researchers, and global collaborations.
A new special issue of Science highlights research on Earth’s frozen places—from the Arctic to the Antarctic—and how it’s changing due to climate change and the geopolitical challenges this important work faces.Learn more: https://scim.ag/4jPYRID
