Main Antarctic ice shelf collapsing faster than projected, study says

According to a new study, a key Antarctic ice shelf is
breaking up much faster than scientists had anticipated. Scientists are now
concerned that, as a result of climate change, the ice shelf of the Pine Island
Glacier may begin to collapse sooner than expected.

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The ice shelf serves as a barrier for the rapidly melting
glacier. In 2017, the acceleration of ice shelf loss was first noticed.
According to a study published in Science Advances on Friday, the ice shelf has
receded nearly 12 miles between then and 2020.

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According to NBC News, researchers have been watching the
crumbling shelf on time-lapse video from a European satellite, which takes
photos of the structure every six days. Between 2017 and 2020, three major
breakup events are thought to have pushed the shelf closer to breaking down.
These events resulted in icebergs that were over 5 miles long and 22 miles
wide, eventually breaking up into smaller pieces.

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“You can see stuff
just tearing apart. So it almost looks like the
speed-up itself is weakening the glacier. … And so far we’ve lost maybe 20% of the main shelf,” study lead author Ian Joughin, a University of Washington glaciologist, was quoted as saying by NBC News.