Unexpected discovery of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet

Climate experts say the discovery of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet greatly helps the study of global climate change.

>>>Find the answer to the paradox in Antarctica

For many years, there has been a problem that hurts climate climbers, why the Antarctic ice sheet melts at a relatively slow level, about 1-2% per decade while the Arctic sea ice again rapidly decreased - about 13% in every decade.

Recently, experts have found a solution to this "miracle" . It is the thick ice that submerges deep in the Antarctic sea that makes it a place where there is no tremendous melting speed like the North Pole.

Picture 1 of Unexpected discovery of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet

To produce this result, scientists used underwater robots to redefine the thickness of the ice. This diving robot will draw a detailed 3D map of the sea area below the Antarctic ice surface.

Experts measured a total of 10 ice sheets with an area of ​​about 500,000 square meters, with the thickness of the band ranging from 1.4 to 5.5m. Some places have ice up to 16m thick.

Many previous studies have shown that thick ice covered in Antarctica has a profound meaning.The thickness of the tape will help control the amount of temperature below and the air above . If the tape does not cover, it will affect the temperature on Earth.

Picture 2 of Unexpected discovery of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet

By measuring the thickness of these ice sheets, experts can study the melting history of the ice and compare the temperature changes in the ice core region for more than 1,000 years.

Accordingly, the coldest temperature in Antarctica and the lowest volume of melting ice in the summer occurred 600 years ago.

Picture 3 of Unexpected discovery of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet

Because of that, experts say that understanding the thickness of Antarctic ice will help them find the ice model and find the right way to prevent the impact of climate change going on. Global.

The study is published in Nature Geoscience.