Hidden Warm Water Beneath Antarctica Could Rapidly Raise Global Sea Levels

Researchers found that channels beneath East Antarctica’s Fimbulisen Ice Shelf can trap warmer seawater and intensify melting.

Detailed mapping and ocean-cavity modeling showed local melt rates can rise by about an order of magnitude in these hidden channels.

The added melting weakens the ice shelf and could make some Antarctic glaciers less stable than current estimates suggest.

The findings imply Antarctic ice loss and global sea level rise may accelerate faster if hidden ice-shelf geometry is not fully accounted for.