Scientists call for study of East Antarctica ice basin
A global review paper published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment calls for a coordinated campaign to study the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica.
Review highlights unknown Antarctic region
The new report identifies this area as one of the least scientifically understood places on Earth. It contains enough frozen water to potentially raise global sea levels by three to four meters. Major gaps in current observations prevent researchers from confidently predicting how quickly changes might happen.
Lack of ship access noted
Matt King, a professor at the University of Tasmania, stated that no vessel has reached within 150 kilometers of key glaciers. There is also no in situ mapping data available for the sea floor beneath the ice. These limitations mean scientists do not know what climate thresholds could trigger large-scale retreat.
Reported by one outlet
Only one outlet has published this. Nothing here has been checked against a second report, so read it as that outlet's account and follow the link below for the original.
Reported by
1 independent outlet. Headline as published. Links open the original report.