Presenter(s): Kenzie Hudler − Public Relations
Faculty Mentor(s): Dave Sutherland
Poster 159
Research Area: Natural/Physical Science
Glaciers are formed from heavy snow accumulation and compaction. Glaciers also experience ablation or surface melting, which involves a loss of glacier mass, as glaciers are viscous fluids. There are numerous factors that control the ice flow speed of glaciers, including temperature of the ice, slope of the glacier, thickness of the ice, and the subglacial environment. Greenhouse gas emissions released into our atmosphere cause a warming that even the continental glaciers of East and West Antarctica cannot withstand, resulting in a rise in global sea-level. Here we show that the West Antarctic ice sheet is melting at a faster rate than the East Antarctic ice sheet, which seems relatively stable at the moment. However, recent data has revealed that the East Antarctic ice sheet could be more vulnerable to climate change than originally thought, after analyzing its past behavior in previously similar climate conditions. Consequently, global mean sea-level is rising at an accelerating rate. The results demonstrate how differently the East and West Antarctic ice sheets are melting, and how these increasing melting rates are impacting global sea-levels. My essay will serve as a comparison of the evolution/recent patterns of retreat and melting in the East and West Antarctic ice sheets and a starting point for how these patterns are impacting global sea-levels. Furthermore, the Antarctic glaciers are melting at accelerating rates, and even cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions may not be able to reverse this process.