Unstoppable

  • Released Tuesday, June 3, 2014
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Most glaciers in West Antarctica sit on a bed that is below sea level. The massive ice sheet’s exposure to ocean water makes it inherently unstable, a fact that scientists have warned about for decades. In recent years, scientists have observed the glaciers that flow into West Antarctica's Amundsen Sea are shedding ice at a faster rate. Now, new research shows there is nothing to stop these glaciers from being lost to the ocean—an event that will likely take centuries to unfold, but raise global sea level by four feet. Watch the video to learn more.

Four feet of sea level rise from glaciers in West Antarctica now appears inevitable.

Four feet of sea level rise from glaciers in West Antarctica now appears inevitable.

NASA JPL-UC Irvine glaciologist Eric Rignot explains how glaciers in West Antarctica are changing in this video.

The six glaciers in West Antarctica's Amundsen Sea region have all accelerated since the 1990s&ampmdash;Pine Island and Thwaites in particular.

The six glaciers in West Antarctica's Amundsen Sea region have all accelerated since the 1990s—Pine Island and Thwaites in particular.

This image shows the average velocities of glaciers across all of West Antarctica.

This image shows the average velocities of glaciers across all of West Antarctica.

Three-dimensional mapping of the bed beneath the ice reveals the key concern: The majority of West Antarctica sits below sea level.

Three-dimensional mapping of the bed beneath the ice reveals the key concern: The majority of West Antarctica sits below sea level.

For More Information

See NASA.gov

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Video courtesy of NASA/JPL

This page was originally published on Tuesday, June 3, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.