Researchers have discovered a deep underwater trough in Antarctica that could spell doom for one of the continent’s vulnerable ice shelves. Located below the Shirase Glacier in East Antarctica, the trough appears to be funnelling warm ocean water directly against the base of the glacier’s ice shelf, known as the Shirase Glacier Tongue, which juts out into the nearby bay like a frosty peninsula.
The ice near the Shirase Glacier (lower left corner) in East Antarctica
This pipeline of warm water is causing the tongue to melt from the bottom up at an alarming rate. Due to this the base of the Shirase Glacier Tongue is losing 7 to 16 metres of ice per year, potentially making it the fastest melting region in East Antarctica.