CSIRO researchers say 70.8 billion tons of Antarctic ice are lost every year

WASHINGTON – A report found that Denman’s ice floe was East Antarctica melting faster at a rate of 70.8 billion tons per year.

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As reported by The Guardian Sunday (10/16/2022), scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) said that the melting of the glaciers was caused by the ingress of warm seawater.

The CSIRO research group led by scientist Esmee van Wijk said the report showed that the Denman Glacier was potentially at risk of unstable shrinkage.

Denman Glacier in remote East Antarctica sits above the deepest terrestrial canyon in the world.

It contains a volume of ice equivalent to a sea level rise of 1.5 meters.

Previously, East Antarctica should not have suffered the rapid ice loss that occurred in the west.

However, several new studies suggest that seawater is also approaching parts of the continent.

A team of Australian scientists used buoy profile measurements to show how much seawater was reaching the deep trench that runs beneath the glacier.

The research team initially wanted to study another glacier, the Totten, but when the buoy floated, it approached Denman.

The buoy collects data every five days for four months starting in December 2020.

“From the data collected, scientists estimate the rate at which seawater causes the ice cubes to melt.”

“However, the melting of the floating part of the glacier does not add to the rise in sea level,” the report said.

(wb)