ScienceDaily: Antarctica Retreating Across the Sea Floor

The UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at the University of Leeds has produced a map of how the Antarctic ice sheet's submarine edge, or "grounding line," is shifting. “Most Antarctic glaciers flow straight into the ocean in deep submarine troughs, the grounding line is the place where their base leaves the sea floor and begins to float,” explains Science Daily. The map shows that the underwater ice is melting at a faster pace than previously assumed, impacting inland glaciers and contributing to rising sea levels worldwide. “The pace of deglaciation since the last ice age is roughly 25 metres per year. The retreat of the grounding line at these glaciers is more than five times that rate.” The mapping, relying on remote sensors and satellite data from the European Space Agency, demonstrates the complexity of melting and how glaciers do not melt at the same rates. – YaleGlobal