Antarctica is rising from the ocean
The continent of Antarctica is rising. It is due to a geological phenomenon called post-glacial uplift. It will have huge consequences for the whole of Earth. An astronomical volume of ice has melted from Antarctica's glaciers. This has made the continent lighter. This consequently means it is slowly rising. The melting glacial water is causing sea levels around the globe to rise. Geologist Terry Wilson from Ohio State University wrote: "Our measurements show that the solid earth that forms the base of the Antarctic ice sheet is changing shape surprisingly quickly. The land uplift from reduced ice on the surface is happening in decades, rather than over thousands of years." |