Stay updated with breaking news from Ross Ice. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
The potential acceleration and eventual disintegration of the Ross Ice Shelf, leading to its movement into the sea, would have far-reaching consequences for ice coverage throughout the region.
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. At the end of the southern summer, Antarctica's sea ice hit its annual minimum. By at least one measure, which tracks the area of ocean that contains at least 15% of sea ice, it was a little above the record low of 2023. World News | Antarctica's Sea Ice Hit Another Low This Year – Understanding How Ocean Warming is Driving the Loss is Key.
Ocean warming seems the main driver of Antarctica’s sea-ice loss. But as satellites show, the change is not universal and sea ice persists in East Antarctica and the Weddell Sea.
Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, a massive floating ice platform about the size of France, shifts suddenly a few inches at least once a day. Now, this isn’t some creeping glacier-like motion. A hidden force within Antarctica’s ice, far from the surface, triggers these sudden shifts.
"We found that the whole shelf suddenly moves about 6 to 8 centimeters (or 3 inches) once or twice a day..."