Scientists bamboozled by "ice piracy" where non-living glaciers are "stealing" ice

Scientists have spotted a surprising change in Antarctica—one glacier is pulling ice away from another in a process researchers call "ice piracy." This shift, once thought to take centuries or even millennia, has happened in less than 18 years, according to a new study from the University of Leeds published in The Cryosphere on May 8.

Using satellite data, researchers examined eight ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler (PSK) region of West Antarctica between 2005 and 2022. They found that seven of the streams had sped up, with Smith West Glacier showing the biggest increase at 87%. But Kohler West Glacier, in contrast, had slowed by 10%. The reason? Kohler West’s ice flow had shifted toward Kohler East Glacier, which was thinning and moving faster. Over time, this caused the ice divide between the Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves to shift eastward, changing how much ice reaches these floating ice platforms.

Dr. Heather Selley, the study's lead author, explained what's happening. “We think that the observed slowdown on Kohler West Glacier is due to the redirection of ice flow towards its neighbor—Kohler East. This is due to the large change in Kohler West’s surface slope, likely caused by the vastly different thinning rates on its neighboring glaciers.” Kohler East’s rapid movement pulls in ice from Kohler West, a process Selley described as "ice piracy." “We didn’t know ice streams could ‘steal’ ice from each over such a short period, so this is a fascinating discovery,” she said.

The team used satellite tracking techniques to measure how fast the glaciers were moving by monitoring surface features like crevasses and rifts. They also studied ice thinning rates with data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) CryoSat mission. The study was done in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM), with additional data from ESA, NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

Co-author Pierre Dutrieux, a climate researcher at BAS, explained why this matters. “This study provides an interesting demonstration of ice piracy, where flow into one glacier gradually switches to flow into another glacier, as the ocean melts the grounding zone and re-configures ice flow.”

The shifting ice flow is affecting Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, two floating platforms that help stabilize Antarctica’s ice sheet. Dotson Ice Shelf is about 30 miles wide, roughly the distance from Leeds to York, while Crosson Ice Shelf spans about 40 miles—the distance from Leeds to Manchester. Both shelves have already lost a lot of ice in recent decades, and this new change could impact their stability even further.

Professor Anna Hogg, a study co-author, described the consequences. “The changes in flow direction have substantially altered the ice mass flux into Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, likely playing an important role in maintaining Dotson and accelerating the deterioration of Crosson.”

Sea levels are already rising, and Antarctica’s ice plays a key role in that process. Scientists estimate that more than 410 million people worldwide could be at risk from sea-level rise by 2100. Data shows that global sea levels have increased by more than 10 cm over the last decade, and shifting ice flow could make the situation worse.

Dr. Martin Wearing, an ESA scientist, emphasized how critical satellite technology is for tracking polar changes. “This new study highlights the unique ability of satellites to provide both the temporal and spatial coverage required to assess change in the polar regions. Using data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat, the team has revealed the complex evolution of ice flow in part of West Antarctica over the past few decades. Understanding these changing dynamics and what drives them is crucial for improved projections of future ice-sheet change and contributions to sea-level rise.”

This research adds to growing concerns about Antarctica’s changing ice flow patterns and how they are influenced by ocean warming, changes in air temperature, and snowfall variations. By showing that glaciers can redirect their ice flow much faster than expected, scientists are gaining new insights into how Antarctica’s ice sheet might continue changing—and what that could mean for the rest of the planet.

Source: University of Leeds, The Cryosphere

This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor.

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