Antarctica is starting to look a lot like Greenland

Scientists studying Antarctica’s ice sheets say that a concerning change is happening.

Recent research in Nature Geoscience shows that warm ocean water is infiltrating Antarctic glaciers, destabilizing the ice. This “Greenlandification” process is accelerating ice loss and could lead to a faster rise in global sea levels than previously predicted.

Experts warn that the current changes could signal a critical tipping point for the planet’s climate. “Greenlandification” describes how Antarctica’s ice is melting from below due to warming ocean waters, similar to Greenland.

In Greenland, significant ice loss and rising sea levels have occurred over the past few decades. Now, similar signs are emerging in West Antarctica, where warm currents are eroding the ice that anchors glaciers to the seafloor.

A 2025 study in Nature Geoscience found that Antarctic glaciers respond to ocean heat similarly to Greenland’s most vulnerable glaciers, based on satellite radar data, ice-core records, and ocean temperature measurements from the Amundsen Sea region.

This discovery represents a significant shift in understanding: Antarctica was previously believed to be much more stable due to its colder climate; however, scientists are now observing similar melting dynamics occurring at both poles.

The main factor driving this trend is the influx of warmer circumpolar deep water onto Antarctica’s continental shelf. This water melts the floating ice shelves from below, which, as they thin, become less effective at holding back the glaciers behind them.

When the buttressing effect weakens, glaciers can accelerate toward the sea, raising sea levels. The Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in West Antarctica are significant because their collapse could increase global sea levels by over three meters. Both glaciers are retreating and thinning due to melting from beneath the ice.

The grounding lines of West Antarctica’s glaciers are moving inland faster than expected, signaling potential irreversible changes. Satellite imagery from NASA and the European Space Agency shows these glaciers losing mass at unprecedented rates.

The continent is losing more than 150 billion tons of ice per year, nearly tripling since the early 1990s. This accelerated melting mirrors trends in Greenland, which has become the largest contributor to global sea-level rise over the past two decades.

Scientists warn that Antarctica may contribute more to sea-level rise this century than previously predicted. Updated projections suggest global sea levels could rise by one meter or more by 2100 due to accelerated ice loss.

Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities globally, such as New York, Miami, Bangkok, and Lagos, impacting millions and costing trillions in infrastructure damage. East Antarctica was once seen as stable due to its colder climate and thicker ice.

Warming ocean currents are now reaching East Antarctic glaciers, especially in the Denman and Totten regions. Ice shelves serve as doorstops, slowing the glaciers’ flow.

Warm water thinning the floating ice shelves from below causes the grounded ice behind them to move faster toward the ocean. In areas like Thwaites, this thinning has increased glacier speeds by up to 30 percent.

The collapse of ice shelves can significantly increase ice discharge into the ocean, worsening sea-level rise. While ocean heat is the main driver, atmospheric warming raises temperatures, leading to more surface melting and the formation of melt ponds that accelerate thawing.

Antarctica is experiencing more frequent effects of climate change, with recent heatwaves pushing temperatures up to 40°C above average—an unprecedented shift. Scientists compare this to Greenland, where stable glaciers have begun to collapse due to gradual ocean warming.

Irreversible ice loss continues in various regions, even if global temperatures stabilize. Once Antarctic glaciers reach a tipping point, their retreat may last for centuries. The processes affecting Greenland’s ice sheet are also impacting Antarctica, with melting causing more than just coastal flooding.

Freshwater entering the Southern Ocean can disrupt crucial ocean currents that regulate Earth’s climate, leading to altered rainfall patterns, stronger storms, and impacts on food production. Scientists warn that changes in Antarctica may have global effects, affecting fisheries and hurricane activity.

Researchers agree that immediate global cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are crucial to slowing Antarctica’s “Greenlandification.” Modest improvements in emission targets can help limit warming and stabilize key glaciers.

Hosea 4:1 The LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hosea 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

Hosea 4:3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish=lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and diseases; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

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