Science The Cool Down Researchers make mind-blowing discovery while analyzing Arctic ocean floor: ‘What happened in the past is likely to recur’

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Researchers analyzing ancient seafloor sediments discovered that West Antarctica’s ice sheet has collapsed and regrown several times over millions of years — triggering earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis each time.

What’s happening?

Scientists drilled nearly 2,605 feet into the ocean floor off West Antarctica during a 2019 expedition, recovering sediment cores spanning six million years, per The Conversation.

Analysis revealed that, between 4.7 million and 3.3 million years ago, the ice sheet melted and regrew at least five times over periods lasting up to tens of thousands of years.

“Our data about the Amundsen Sea’s past and the resulting forecast indicate that onshore changes in West Antarctica will not be slow, gradual or imperceptible from a human perspective,” researchers wrote in the article.

“Rather, what happened in the past is likely to recur: geologically rapid shifts that are felt locally as apocalyptic events such as earthquakes, eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis — with worldwide effects.”

Chemical analysis of mud layers also matched signatures from mountains 870 miles away, proving that icebergs had carried materials across the open ocean where thick ice now sits.

Why are these findings important?

Rapid geological changes are threatening coastal communities worldwide. As ice melts and flows off the land, the bedrock beneath it rebounds upward, triggering earthquakes.

The pressure release also increases volcanic activity, as seen in Iceland. Meanwhile, massive landslides can collapse into the ocean, generating destructive tsunamis.

Rising sea levels from Antarctic ice melt can intensify storm flooding, with millions facing future displacement as cities near the sea become uninhabitable.

Warming global temperatures increase the intensity of extreme weather events, creating more violent storms that devastate communities.

What’s being done about Antarctic ice melt?

Computer models can now simulate how ice-sheet collapse transforms Antarctica, helping scientists predict the timing and impacts so communities can better prepare evacuation plans and strengthen critical infrastructure.

Transitioning away from oil, gas, and coal can help to slow ice melt by limiting atmospheric pollution and subsequent ocean warming. Installing solar panels and switching to electric vehicles can reduce the pollution that accelerates Antarctic changes.

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