Why is Antarctica melting? Find out at upcoming EARTHx speaker series

Solving the mystery of why the Antarctic ice sheet is melting is far from simple. It’s not due to a warmer climate, as you might think, as air temperatures remain well below freezing all year in all but the most northerly parts of Antarctica.

So, what is going on?

Next Thursday, Jan. 18, the Faculty of Science’s EarthX speaker series will shed light on what exactly is happening to the Antarctic ice sheet, and why.

The presenter is Dr. Eric Steig, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences and adjunct professor in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. Steig’s work focuses on climate and ice sheets, using a combination of isotope geochemistry and climate modelling.

His work is as hands-on as it gets: Steig analyzes ice samples obtained by drilling cores into the ice sheet. He uses isotope-ratio mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy, often using instruments and methods he and his laboratory staff and students have pioneered.

Through his work, Steig has found that Antarctica is primarily melting from below, where relatively warm ocean water is the underside of the ice shelves — the floating part of a glacier when it reaches the sea. Although the water surrounding Antarctica is not much warmer than historically, evidence suggests that a complex interplay between winds, sea ice, ocean currents, and the geometry of the melting ice itself has increased the efficiency with which warm water reaches and melts the ice shelves.

EARTHx is a series of inspiring talks by best-in-class speakers making a difference in their fields. The talks are open and accessible to everyone, online and in person, no matter your level of expertise. The series is possible due to a generous philanthropic contribution from the Gallagher family, who also established the Gallagher Library, the Gallagher Fellowship in Geoscience and many other university initiatives over the years.