Antarctica France Sized Ice Shelf Makes Daily Jumps Raising Icequake Concerns

Global warming is creating disastrous conditions for the earth. The ever-increasing temperature of the earth is having a profound effect on the ice frozen at the poles. Researchers have now seen such an incident in Antarctica which is heart-wrenching. Researchers say that a piece of ice as big as the country of France in Antarctica, called the Ross Ice Shelf, is moving forward several centimeters once or twice a day. Researchers are saying that this movement in the Ross Ice Shelf has been created by the Whillans Ice Stream. It is a fast-flowing river of ice that sometimes gets stuck and then starts moving forward.
The latest discovery sheds new light on the dynamics of the ice shelf, and highlights an aspect of it that was previously unknown. Climate Change Due to this, the question arises about the long-term stability of the Ross Ice Shelf. This research Geophysical Research Letters has been published in.

Usually all glaciers move at a fixed speed. But the Wheelens Ice Stream moves in a stop-and-go motion. It gets stuck due to lack of water beneath it. Then when too much pressure accumulates, it suddenly bursts and moves forward. This process is similar to the tremors in an earthquake, in the same way these tremors push the Ross Ice Shelf forward.

According to the study, such shocks can weaken the Ross Ice Shelf. Ice shelves act as a barrier to the flow of glaciers. Glaciers flow towards the sea, and ice shelves keep it under control. But if the Ross Ice Shelf weakens and breaks into parts, it can result in an increase in the speed of melting of ice. If the ice melts rapidly, it will rapidly increase the sea level.

The research team stressed that shocks and fractures in the ice are natural phenomena in ice shelves. Nevertheless, researchers will keep a close eye on the activity happening inside it to see if it is breaking. Because this has happened with smaller ice shelves before. The new study highlights the dynamic and complex nature of the Antarctic ice shelf. It will prove to be very important in furthering research in this direction.