Ross Ice Shelf

Ross Ice Shelf

Antarctica's Ross ice shelf, the world's largest ice shelf roughly the size of france is melting rapidly.

Ross Ice Shelf:

• An international team of scientists has found out that this ice shelf is melting 10 times faster than the overall average, due to solar heating of the surrounding ocean surface.
• The melting ice shelf has led to global sea level rise of around 13.8mm over the last 40years.
• Solar heating of the surrounding ocean surface spurred the rate at which the ice is melting.
• Using instruments deployed through a 260 metre deep borehole, the team measured temperature, salinity , melt rates and ocean currents in the cavity under the ice.
• Earlier, scientists believed that heat radiating to the bottom melted the underside of the shelf, while the ocean surface cooled down quickly.
• However, the latest findings show that heat in the ocean surface plays a crucial role.

Why is it alarming?

• Antarctica comprises 90% of the world's ice.
• The ross ice shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica .
• If this situation continuous, sea levels would rise up to 60 metres by 2050 and the ocean would engulf coastal cities across the glob.