Scientists Urge Urgent Study of Remote East Antarctic Ice Basin

Researchers are calling for urgent scientific expeditions to the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, a massive ice reserve that could raise global sea levels by three to four metres if it melts completely. Over a century ago, Australian geologist Sir Douglas Mawson led a sledging journey into the area, but the team turned back following a tragic death. A later attempt by fellow Australian Cecil Madigan also stopped before reaching the primary ice sheet.

Ice Vulnerability

The basin spans 1,400 kilometres by 400 kilometres and contains bedrock sitting up to 2,000 metres below sea level. While thick ice currently blocks ocean water from entering the deep rock bowl, ocean temperatures near East Antarctica hover around minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, threatening to melt the edges and speed up ice flow. Data gathered from aircraft radar and satellites shows the region is highly vulnerable, having experienced East Antarctica's first known ice shelf collapse in the 1970s or 1980s. During the Pliocene period three million years ago, when global temperatures were two to three degrees Celsius warmer, the region's ice sheet shrank dramatically and global sea levels rose significantly.

Access Challenges

Reaching the area is extremely difficult because unusually thick and compacted sea ice surrounds the coast. No ship has ever managed to get within 150 kilometres of the Cook Glacier, and the nearest permanent research station is 250 kilometres away. Despite these hurdles, improving technology now allows nations like Australia and New Zealand to support long-range airborne surveys and deep drilling projects that can reach three kilometres down to the bedrock. Scientists plan to use robotic sensors and analyze sediment samples to track past ice retreat during historical warm periods.

Context

Polar regions are particularly sensitive to global temperature shifts, meaning even small increases in water warmth can trigger major changes to vast ice sheets. Understanding these remote environments is vital for projecting future sea level rise that will affect coastal populations worldwide.