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How hidden lakes threaten Antarctic Ice Sheet stability

Written by  Thursday, 03 April 2025 07:00
Thwaites Glacier from Sentinel-1

For decades, satellites have played a crucial role in our understanding of the remote polar regions. The ongoing loss of Antarctic ice, owing to the climate crisis, is, sadly, no longer surprising. However, satellites do more than just track the accelerating flow of glaciers towards the ocean and measure ice thickness.

New research highlights how ESA’s CryoSat mission has been used to uncover the hidden impact of subglacial lakes – vast reservoirs of water buried deep under the ice – that can suddenly drain into the ocean in dramatic outbursts and affect ice loss.

Applications

Nature Communications

Influence of subglacial lake discharge on Thwaites Glacier ice-shelf melting and grounding-line retreat


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