Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica has provided important clues as to the nature of
Antarctic warming. It is a huge geographical feature and discharges some 100 trillion tons
of ice into the Amundsen Sea every year. Monitored by satellites and airborne surveying for
the last 30 years, this glacier attracted scientific interest because it was grounded below sea
level and was vulnerable to potential change because it lacked any protection from a
floating extension of ice.
Since the early 1990s, scientists have noted that the glacier is retreating inland, and is
increasingly exposed to erosive Antarctic waters. This exposure to warmer waters, by the
standards of the Antarctic, is contributing significantly to ice mass loss. The fate of this
glacier is, as a consequence, widely regarded as emblematic of the future stability of the
Antarctic ice sheet, and possible sea level rise in the future.
Recent and ongoing scientific projects in the Antarctic
Antarctic science is, by its very nature, multi-disciplinary and collaborative, often involving
multiple countries and organizations. SCAR, as noted above, plays an important role in
coordinating and organizing. The examples discussed below are intended to give a sense of
where some of this research endeavour is heading. In general terms, Antarctic science is not
only focused on better understanding the Antarctic and Southern Ocean, but also and
increasingly addressing the connections between the region and the rest of planet Earth. In
scientific terms, the Antarctic is no longer considered a 'pole apart' and now attracts ever
more interest from those who may not have considered themselves polar scientists
per se
.
1. Antarctic Gamburtsev Mountain Project
The Gamburtsev basis of claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica Treaty Peninsula
mountain range, dubbed Antarctica's 'ghost mountains' by the British Antarctic Survey, is a
sub-glacial feature located in East Antarctica close to Dome A. Discovered in 1958 by a
Soviet Antarctic Expedition, the range itself was named after the geophysicist Grigoriy
Gamburtsev. The mountain range is about 750 miles long, with an altitude of about
8,000-9,000 feet, and is covered by approximately 2,000 feet of ice and snow. Until quite
recently, there was limited understanding of how this geographical feature, similar in nature
to the European Alps, was created. This mountain range matters because scientists believe
that it will provide important clues not only as to how the East Antarctic ice sheet
developed, but also to future changes as a consequence of global warming trends.
