Scientists Urge Urgent Study of Wilkes Subglacial Basin in Antarctica

UPDATE - follow-up to Mysterious Antarctic region that could lift sea levels by several metres must be studied - researchers: Researchers from 14 nations, including New Zealand, have published a new study demanding urgent data collection on the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica.

The Risk

The largely unexplored region holds enough ice to lift global sea levels by several metres. Climate scientists previously focused on the smaller West Antarctic ice sheet, believing East Antarctica was too cold and thick to change quickly. However, sparse data now shows a risk of rapid change as the climate warms. The basin's main Cook Glacier has been thinning at an increasing rate since the 1990s and currently discharges 40 billion tonnes of ice into the sea every year. Warm seawater seeping between the bedrock and the ice sheet can melt the ice from below and push the sheet past a tipping point.

Past Evidence

Geological records show the ice sheet retreated about three million years ago during the Pliocene era. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels during that time were between 365 and 415 parts per million, while current levels have reached 426 parts per million. Scientists still do not know how quickly the basin could change, what climate thresholds might trigger a large-scale retreat, or how much it will ultimately contribute to future sea-level rise. Gathering the necessary data requires international teamwork to drill deep into the ice sheet for rock and sediment cores and to map the seafloor.

Logistical Challenges

Reaching the area is extremely difficult due to harsh weather and thick ice. No ship has ever come within 150 kilometres of the Cook Glacier terminus, and researchers estimate that coordinating multiple icebreakers for the task could take five to 10 years. Land access is similarly blocked by the Trans-Antarctic Mountains, which separate the basin from New Zealand's Scott Base and the US McMurdo Station. Researchers previously spent three summers retrieving a core from the more accessible West Antarctic ice sheet after two earlier attempts failed. Scientists stress the need for broad international buy-in to maintain a presence in the area, spot early warning signs of change, and avoid being caught off guard.

Context

Antarctic research often requires massive multi-national cooperation because the continent's extreme weather and remote location make individual expeditions nearly impossible. Drilling deep ice cores lets scientists look back at ancient climates to understand how ice sheets react to high carbon dioxide levels. This kind of long-term planning helps governments and coastal cities prepare for future sea-level changes.