Dr Steve Rintoul: The Future of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
A Soft Underbelly in East Antarctica?
In this lecture, ACE CRC Oceanographer Dr Steve Rintoul, tells the story of how a pioneering Australian voyage to Antarctica this year uncovered new evidence of the impact of ocean warming on the Antarctic ice sheet.
In early 2015, the Aurora Australis was the first ship to ever reach the edge East Antarctica’s fastest thinning glacier – the Totten.
Thanks to a lucky break in the sea ice and some bold manoeuvring, scientists were able to take the first direct measurements of the ocean alongside the Totten.
What they found has led to a rethink of our understanding of East Antarctic Ice Sheet, suggesting that the huge ice shelves surrounding the continent are more vulnerable to ocean warming than previously thought.
In this lecture, voyage leader Steve Rintoul, explains the latest science on how the Southern Ocean is changing and the consequences of those changes for the climate, sea level and the future of the Antarctic ice sheet.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Monday, 16 November 2015
Time: 5:30pm
Location: University of Tasmania Waterfront Building, 20 Castray Esplanade, Hobart
Authorised by the CEO of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre October 2019.
The ACE CRC was established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program.
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