MELBOURNE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have called for urgent research into East Antarctica's Wilkes Subglacial Basin, a vast ice-filled region key to predicting future sea-level rise and containing enough ice to raise global mean sea levels by an estimated 3 to 4 meters.
A review published Wednesday in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment found that major gaps in observations meant scientists could not confidently predict how rapidly the region could change or what climate thresholds might trigger large-scale retreat, according to a statement from Australia's University of Tasmania (UTAS).
"The Wilkes Subglacial Basin is arguably the last unexplored place in Antarctica," said lead author UTAS Professor Matt King, chief investigator at the Australian Center for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS).
The Wilkes Subglacial Basin spans about 1,400 by 400 km, with much of its bedrock more than 2,000 meters below sea level, making its ice sheet vulnerable to ocean-driven melting and self-sustaining retreat, researchers said.
"Warm seawater increasingly coming in contact with and melting the ice sheet from below could lead to accelerated and potentially unstoppable ice loss on a massive scale. It's all downhill from there," said co-author Zhao Chen from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership and ACEAS.
This process, known as marine ice-sheet instability, has long been a concern in parts of West Antarctica. Researchers now recognize that major regions of East Antarctica share similar characteristics.
Evidence from geological records suggests the basin, located largely within Australia's Antarctic Territory, has undergone substantial retreat during past warm periods, raising concerns about its response to future climate change.
The review, co-authored by researchers from countries including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Britain and China, called for urgent efforts to map the region, improve ocean and ice-sheet observations, and reduce uncertainty about future climate and sea-level impacts. ■
