14 DAY TRIAL // With the help of satellite images and airborne radar measurements, a team of UK scientists have managed to pin down several channels that currently sit under a floating ice shelf in Antarctica.
The researchers say that, according to their investigations, these channels formed as a result of meltwater flow beneath the floating ice shelf. The water that carved them originated from under the grounded part of the ice sheet.
By the looks of it, these newly discovered channels measure about 250 meters (820 feet) in height, meaning that they are nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower. What's more, the researchers say that, as far as they can tell, they stretch over hundreds of kilometers.
Their presence under this floating ice shelf indicates that, contrary to popular opinion, meltwater does not flow in a thin layer once it leaves the ground and reaches the ocean. On the contrary, it often comes to form so-called rivers in the ocean.
As explained on the official website for the University of Exeter, “Previously, it was thought that water flowed in a thin layer beneath the ice sheet, but the evidence from this study suggests it flows in a more focussed manner much like rivers of water.”
The researchers who found these huge channels say that their presence under this floating ice shelf is bound to sooner or later influence the latter's behavior and stability.
By further investigating these ice channels and others of their kind, the UK scientists hope to collect information that will help them better understand how ice shelves will react to changing environmental conditions and how their behavior will in turn influence sea levels.
“If we are to understand the behavior of the ice sheet, and its contribution to changes in sea level, we need to fully understand the role of water at the base of the ice sheet.”
“The information gained from these newly discovered channels will enable us to understand more fully how the water system works and how the ice sheet will behave in the future,” said Dr. Anne Le Brocq from the University of Exeter.