The ice shelves in Antarctica retreated much more rapidly in the past compared to today, according to scientists. Researchers from the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge analyzed wave-like ridges on the Antarctic seafloor, which formed about 12,000 years ago during regional deglaciation.
Their findings revealed that the ice around the Antarctic coasts was retreating at rates of 40 to 50 meters per day during this period, equating to over 10 kilometers per year. In contrast, the fastest retreating grounding lines in Antarctica today are moving at only about 1.6 kilometers per year.
Professor Julian Dowdeswell, director of the Scott Polar Research Institute, stated, "By examining the past footprint of the ice sheet and analyzing sets of ridges on the seafloor, we obtained new evidence of maximum past ice retreat rates, which are significantly faster than those seen in even the most sensitive parts of Antarctica today."
The team utilized an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to map the seafloor near the Larsen Ice Shelf, east of the Antarctic Peninsula.
It was previously believed that the wave-like ridges on the seafloor, each about one meter high and spaced 20 to 25 meters apart, dated back to the end of the last major deglaciation, around 12,000 years ago.
