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Research shows that hidden channels beneath Antarctica’s ice shelves can trap warmer ocean water, intensify melting from below, and weaken natural barriers that help contain the advance of glaciers into the sea.
Hidden traps of warm water beneath Antarctica may be accelerating ice melt and raising global sea levels more quickly. Research indicates that channels at the base of ice shelves retain warm ocean water, increasing loss from below.
Ice shelves are floating extensions of glaciers and help contain the advance of large ice masses toward the ocean. When they become thinner and unstable, the glaciers behind them can advance more rapidly to the sea.
The study points out that melting caused by warmer water occurs more efficiently than expected. The discovery involves natural barriers linked to the speed at which land ice reaches the ocean.
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Scientists have already observed similar patterns in other parts of Antarctica. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified unstable polar ice shelves as an important climate concern.
Hidden channels beneath Antarctica retain heat
The team analyzed the Fimbulisen ice shelf in East Antarctica to understand underwater melting. The results showed that the shape of the underside of the shelf influences the circulation of water below the ice.
In areas where the base has channels, the movement of water can form small circulation systems. These systems keep warmer water trapped against the ice, instead of allowing it to move away.
This persistent heat increases melting at specific points. Researchers found that melting rates in these channels can grow locally by approximately an order of magnitude, showing how the lower topography defines where heat accumulates.
Tore Hattermann, from the iC3 Polar Research Hub, states that the shape of the underside of the shelf is not just a passive feature. It can retain ocean heat where extra melting matters.
The Fimbulisen is located in East Antarctica, a region generally considered colder and less vulnerable. Even so, observations below the shelf showed that small amounts of warmer water can substantially increase melting in the channels.
According to Hattermann, the channels can grow and, in the worst-case scenario, weaken the stability of the entire shelf. Qin Zhou highlighted that modest flows of warmer deep waters can have a great effect when the base is channeled.
Model shows how channels change melting
To study the phenomenon, the researchers combined a detailed map of the underside of the Fimbulisen ice shelf with a computational model of the ocean cavity beneath it. The approach allowed for observing circulation and melting on a fine scale.
The team compared simulations with smoother ice shelf bases and versions that included realistic channels. The analyses were conducted under cold ocean conditions and slightly warmer scenarios, isolating the role of the channels.
With this method, the scientists assessed how channeled formations affect circulation, water mixing, and the intensity of melting. The work also incorporated previous field observations conducted in the Fimbulisen region.
The researchers state that combining long-term measurements and advanced modeling is essential to understand small features hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice shelves.
Impact on sea level projections
Stronger melting within the channels can create a dangerous cycle. As these formations deepen and widen, parts of the shelf become thinner unevenly, compromising the overall structure.
A weakened shelf slows down less the ice located behind it. This may allow more land ice to flow into the ocean and contribute to a rise in sea level above many current estimates.
Hattermann warns that current climate models do not capture this effect. As a result, they may underestimate the sensitivity of cold ice shelves along the East Antarctic coast to small changes or warming of coastal waters.
These changes have already been observed and are expected to increase in the future. The conclusions may have implications for climate science and coastal planning, as future projections depend on models capable of representing small-scale processes.
The change in meltwater flow can also affect ocean circulation and marine ecosystems around Antarctica. The study was published on May 7, 2026, in the journal Nature Communications.
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