A climate threat may lurk beneath Antarctica's last great unknown
A region of Antarctica with some of the greatest potential to reshape the natural world and human society is also the least scientifically understood and explored.
Antarctica holds a climate threat that may be lurking beneath its last great unknown region, according to a new global review paper. East Antarctica's Wilkes Subglacial Basin, the least scientifically understood and explored area, contains enough ice to potentially raise global sea levels by 3 to 4 meters. Led by Professor Matt King from the University of Tasmania and the Australian Center for Excellence in Antarctic Science, the paper emphasizes the urgent need for a coordinated global campaign to study this basin.
The basin, largely within Australian Antarctic Territory, has exhibited substantial retreat during past warm periods, raising concerns about its response to future climate change. Current gaps in observations prevent scientists from confidently predicting how rapidly changes could occur or which climate thresholds might trigger large-scale retreat.
Despite these challenges, evidence from geological records suggests that the basin warrants better understanding. The paper calls for international collaboration to map the region, enhance ocean and ice-sheet monitoring, and reduce uncertainties surrounding future climate impacts and sea-level rise.
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