LONDON – Researchers warn that if the Union Glacier in Antarctica region melts, the world could be facing a crucial tipping point.
Scientists have predicted that, if the planet continues down this path, sea levels by 2100 could be at least 1.4 feet higher and up to 6.6 feet higher. That could wipe out entire coastal cities.
What’s happening?
Scientists who have been monitoring the Union Glacier in Antarctica say the overheating of our planet could be speeding up concerning changes on this “blue ice” glacier and others, so called for the colorful core of ice being exposed by powerful winds.
As the Guardian reported in late April, rising atmopsheric and ocean temperatures have been driving unusually rapid and widespread glacier melt globally in recent years.
Researchers are also interested in the impact of black carbon on the glacial surface. Typically covered in snow, glaciers reflect back a significant amount of sunlight. With white snow melting and with surfaces contaminated with black carbon due to human activity, more sunlight — and heat — can be absorbed, accelerating glacier loss, also referred to as “retreat.”
“Our human activities are accelerating the changes here because we are demanding more and more resources,” Ricardo Jaña, a glaciologist at the Chilean Antarctic Institute (Inach) and research chief at the Union Glacier Joint Scientific Polar Station, told the Guardian. “It’s the last chance for humanity to get it right.”
The data that researchers are collecting now regarding the Union Glacier’s thickness and movement will be crucial in helping glaciologists track changes going forward.
Why are glacial changes concerning?
The very first World Day for Glaciers this past March 21 gave scientists and advocates the opportunity to raise awareness about the risks of accelerating glacier melt.
“Five of the past six years have witnessed the most rapid glacier retreat on record. 2022-2024 witnessed the largest three-year loss of glacier mass on record,” according to a March press release from the World Meteorological Organization. “In many regions, what used to be called glaciers’ ‘eternal ice’ will not survive the 21st century.”
According to the Guardian, the WMO and other organizations have also said that if global temperature increases exceed 2°C, large portions of the Antarctic ice sheet “including the Union Glacier – may reach tipping points, resulting in irreversible retreat.”
As of 2024, all of Earth’s 19 glacier regions have seen a net mass loss for three straight hydrological years, per the WMO release.
What’s happening?
NASA announced that global sea levels rose by 0.23 inches in 2024, exceeding the predicted rise of 0.17 inches.
The rate has more than doubled since satellites started recording ocean heights in 1993. And since that time, the sea level has risen by 4 inches.
“The rise we saw in 2024 was higher than we expected,” researcher Josh Willis said in a statement. “Every year is a little bit different, but what’s clear is that the ocean continues to rise, and the rate of rise is getting faster and faster.”
Why do rising sea levels matter?
As NDTV reports, the majority of that 2024 increase came from the thermal expansion of water within oceans. In past years, most of the rise came from melting glaciers.
Typically, warm water floats on top of cooler, denser water in the ocean, and the heat only moves slowly down. But extremely windy weather — such as the severe weather that occurs more often as the climate warms — can cause that water to mix vertically, increasing its temperature and causing it to expand.
“With 2024 as the warmest year on record, Earth’s expanding oceans are following suit, reaching their highest levels in three decades,” NASA’s Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer said.
Scientists have predicted that, if the planet continues down this path, sea levels by 2100 could be at least 1.4 feet higher and up to 6.6 feet higher. That could wipe out entire coastal cities.
