"Seasonal Variation in Antarctic Glacier Melting Quantified for the First Time Worldwide"

Polar Research Institute Publishes Paper in March Issue of Nature Communications

Antarctic glacier. Photo by Korea Polar Research Institute

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A Korean research team has, for the first time in the world, identified that the inflow of warm seawater melting Antarctic glaciers varies by season.

The Korea Polar Research Institute announced on the 4th that a paper containing these research results was published in the March issue of the international academic journal Nature Communications.

The phenomenon of warm seawater flowing under Antarctic ice shelves and melting glaciers has recently accelerated due to the effects of global warming. Ice shelves are hundreds of meters thick ice masses floating in the seas around the Antarctic continent, acting as barriers that prevent continental glaciers from flowing into the ocean. Among them, the Dotson ice shelf is located in the Amundsen Sea of West Antarctica, known as the region most vulnerable to global warming. In this area, seawater more than 2 degrees warmer than the freezing point flows into the eastern part of the ice shelf, melting the underside of the glacier. When this meltwater mixes and lowers the temperature and salinity, it flows back out beyond the ice shelf, creating a repeated circulation. Knowing the energy and heat content of the warm water entering beneath the glacier through the ice shelf allows for accurate calculation of glacier melting. However, except for summer, this region is blocked by thick sea ice (sea ice cover), limiting observations in other seasons.

Dr. Kim Tae-wan and his research team at the Korea Polar Research Institute approached the sea in front of the Dotson ice shelf in 2014 aboard the icebreaker Araon, installed a long-term observation system, and recorded changes in the sea for two years. The observations showed that the heat content of warm seawater flowing under the glacier through the Dotson ice shelf in winter was only one-third of that in summer. The amount of glacier meltwater confirmed at the observation point was highest in autumn. The seawater flowing under the glacier generally remains beneath the ice shelf for 2 to 3 months, melting the glacier before mixing and being discharged into the sea in front of the ice shelf, which is interpreted as the cause of this time lag.

The results of this study showed significant differences from previous academic reports based solely on summer observation data, and it is expected that the amount of Antarctic glacier melting caused by seawater inflow will be significantly lower than previously calculated. The research team analyzed that these differences occurred due to seasonal variations in sea ice distribution, as well as the effects of wind and ocean currents.

Dr. Kim said, "Accurately understanding the changes occurring in Antarctica is the minimum role science can contribute to responding to global warming," and added, "Based on the analysis results, we will continue research to improve the accuracy of predicting the rate at which glaciers disappear."

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