No matter how much the world cuts back on carbon emissions, a key and sizable chunk of Antarctica is essentially doomed to an “unavoidable” melt, a new study found.
Researchers used computer simulations to calculate future melting of protective ice shelves jutting over Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica.
How much melting can still be prevented by reducing emissions?” said study lead author Kaitlin Naughten, an oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey.
In each case, ocean warming was just too much for this section of the ice sheet to survive, the study found.
That part of Antarctica “is doomed,” said University of California Irvine ice scientist Eric Rignot, who wasn’t part of the study.
Persons:
”, Kaitlin Naughten, it’s, Naughten, Eric Rignot, Ted Scambos, ” Naughten, Moon, Kate Marvel, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein
Organizations:
West, British Antarctic Survey, University of California, ” University of Colorado, Associated Press, Data, Twitter, AP
Locations:
Amundsen, Antarctica, ” West Antarctica, University of California Irvine