This is an ancient tectonic plate. It greatly influences the melting of the largest ice shelf in Antarctica. And it remained hidden for hundreds of millions of years. It has a great importance: it is the rock that protects the planet.
The Ross Ice Shelf slows the drift into the ocean of about 20% of Antarctica’s ice. It is equivalent to a rise in sea level of almost 11.6 meters, reported the portal Science Alert.
Thaw barrier
Ocean currents affect the rate of ice melt at the top. This can impact the entire planet. This barrier protects the planet and slows the rate of flow. It does so for about one-fifth of the ice resting on the southernmost continent.
The team used computer simulations. They discovered how the newly discovered geology affects underwater currents. The specialists explain the following:
- Little warm water reaches the ice shelf. But cold water currents can reach the deepest parts of East Antarctic glaciers. This causes them to melt.
- These currents stop at the newly discovered boundary. Thus, the glaciers of West Antarctica are safe for now.
- A more worrisome finding is that the ice shelf front is at risk.
According to their study, this Antarctic rock created a divide beneath the continent. It protects the Ross Ice Shelf from warm water and subsequent melting. The rock that protects the planet prevents us from flooding.
Hidden rock
The scientists in charge of the find did so thanks to their work on the ROSETTA-Ice project. With the help of the IcePod system, the team collected images of the ice and measurements of the magnetic field. At Nature Geoscience, narrated their finding. An area halfway across the ice shelf suddenly made IcePod’s magnetic field measurements go haywire.
The researchers discovered a previously unmapped segment. It is at the geological boundary between East and West Antarctica. The team then used gravity field measurements. They thus modeled the shape of the seafloor beneath the ice shelf.
Clearly, the boundary has a profound effect on the ice shelf, which is the size of Spain. Not bad for a hidden rock.
