Scienceblogtwo

Computational modeling is frequently used by scientists to analyze the effects that melting Antarctic ice will have on the planet's waters. Their most recent efforts have concentrated on the geometry, fracturing, and surface melting of ice sheets—processes that may cause or hasten the mass loss of ice sheets. The thawing of the bed, also known as basal thaw, at the interface of the land and the miles-thick ice sheet above it has now been noted by researchers as another process that could have a similarly major impact on the future of the ice sheet. The new analysis reveals regions that, if they thawed, might rival some of the biggest drivers to sea-level rise, such Thwaites Glacier, despite not currently losing a lot of mass. The size of Antarctica, which is 14,200,000 km2 (5,500,000 sq mi), is about 45% greater than that of the United States. The vulnerable areas cover a larger area than California. The study will be released in the journal Nature Communications today, September 1...