El Nino tied to melting of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier

Many glaciers flowing from the land to the coast eventually float over the ocean and melt. The speed at which that melting occurs can depend on many factors, including the warmth of the water beneath it.  In Antarctica the Pine Island Glacier drives large amounts of ice into the ocean, and for decades the glacier’s tip has been thinning. College of the Environment scientists and their partners have connected the dots behind the complex drivers that explain why we are seeing this phenomenon occur.  Read more on UW Today.

Pine Island ice shelf
This photo was taken near the grounding line of Pine Island Glacier, looking seaward down the floating shelf center. The antennae of the University of Kansas deep radar are visible hanging down from the wing of the aircraft.