Antarctica has its own ‘shield’ against warm water – but this could now be under threat

<https://theconversation.com/antarctica-has-its-own-shield-against-warm-water-but-this-could-now-be-under-threat-255738>

"A little-known ocean current surrounds Antarctica, shielding it from warm
water further north. But our new research shows Antarctica’s melting ice is
disrupting this current, putting the continent’s last line of defence at risk.

We found meltwater from Antarctica is speeding up the current, known as the
Antarctic Slope Current. And it’s set to become even faster by mid-century.

A faster current could be more unstable. This means eddies of warm water could
eat away at Antarctica’s ice, posing a major concern for the stability of the
Earth’s climate system.

Faster ice-melt means faster sea-level rise. Humanity must act now to preserve
this natural phenomena that helps Antarctica’s ice shelves remain intact."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics