Getz Ice Shelf

The Getz Ice Shelf is a large ice shelf in West Antarctica. It is located on the coast of the Amundsen Sea and is the largest ice shelf in the region.

The Getz Ice Shelf is about 480 kilometers (300 miles) long and covers a vast area. It is fed by several large glaciers that flow from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, including the DeVicq, Kirk, and Berry Glaciers.

The ice shelf's large size and location make it an important natural barrier that holds back a significant amount of ice from the land, preventing it from flowing into the sea.

The Getz Ice Shelf is one of the most rapidly changing ice shelves in Antarctica. Scientists have observed that large pieces of the shelf have broken off, and the overall volume of ice has decreased significantly in recent years. This is due to warmer ocean currents melting the ice from below.

Because of its rapid changes, the Getz Ice Shelf is a major focus of scientific research. Scientists use satellites and other tools to monitor its changes, which helps them better understand how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is reacting to climate change and how it might affect future global sea levels.

Studies from 1994 to 2010 show that the Getz Ice Shelf is melting faster than other ice shelves in Antarctica. The melting is caused by warmer ocean water flowing beneath it. This meltwater from the Getz Ice Shelf is the largest source of water added to the Southern Ocean.^[1]

In 2021, scientists found that all 14 glaciers feeding the ice shelf had sped up. They have lost 315 gigatonnes of ice since 1994. The melting is happening because warm, deep ocean water is getting to the ice shelf and melting it from below.^[2]

1. ↑ Jacobs, S. (2013). "Getz Ice Shelf melting response to changes in ocean forcing" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 118 (9): 4152–4168. doi:10.1002/jgrc.20298. eISSN 2169-9291.
2. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (23 February 2021). "Climate change: West Antarctica's Getz glaciers flowing faster". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2021.