How the ocean‘s heat is threatening the Antarctic ice shelf

The Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in the southern Weddell Sea is roughly the size of Sweden, and thus the second-largest ice shelf in Antarctica. So far, extremely salty and cold water  has protected the  shelf from the inflow of warm water masses and melting it from below. Computer simulations of AWI oceanographers have now shown, however, that with the increasing warming in Antarctica the sea ice formation in the southern Weddell Sea will decrease - and thus the salt content of the cold water. What then happens is shown by our two infographics: How the warmth of the ocean attacks the ice shelf.

Both graphics are CC-BY licensed. If you want to download this as a high-resolution version, you will find both in our public Media Centre.