How does glacier retreat affect the climate?
East Antarctica's Denman Glacier has retreated 5 kilometers, nearly 3 miles, in the past 22 years. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are concerned that the shape of the ground surface beneath the ice sheet could make it even more susceptible to climate-driven collapse.
If fully thawed, the ice in Denman would cause sea levels worldwide to rise about 1.5 meters, almost 5 feet. With this sobering fact in mind, the UCI and NASA JPL scientists have completed the most thorough examination yet of the glacier and surrounding area, uncovering alarming clues about its condition under further global warming.
All life depends on a healthy planet, but the natural environment such as atmosphere, oceans, waterways, land, ice caps and the biosphere is being threatened by human activities. Journal of Atmosphere and Ocean Environment is an international open access journal aiming to fully demonstrate investigations of the international atmosphere and ocean sciences, strengthen international academic exchanges and explorations, and promote the development of international atmospheric and marine sciences, for the global scientific development and economy.
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