Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

The impact of Antarctic ice-shelf cavities on Earth system dynamics

An Earth system model including Antarctic ice-shelf cavities is used to explore the response and feedback of Antarctic basal melt in various climate scenarios. The inclusion of ice-shelf cavities provides more comprehensive insight into Southern Ocean dynamics and could improve future climate models.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: The effect of ice-shelf cavities on ocean dynamics under different climate scenarios.

References

  1. Noble, T. L. et al. The sensitivity of the Antarctic ice sheet to a changing climate: past, present, and future. Rev. Geophys. 58, e2019RG000663 (2020). A review article that presents the effect of a changing climate on AIS processes.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Golledge, N. R. et al. Global environmental consequences of twenty-first-century ice-sheet melt. Nature 566, 65–72 (2019). The paper discusses the climatic effect of AIS melt in future climates.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. DeConto, R. M. & Pollard, D. Contribution of Antarctica to past and future sea-level rise. Nature 531, 591–597 (2016). The paper estimates the contribution of AIS melt to sea-level change.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Li, Q., England, M. H., Hogg, A. M., Rintoul, S. R. & Morrison, A. K. Abyssal ocean overturning slowdown and warming driven by Antarctic meltwater. Nature 615, 841–847 (2023). This paper models the effect of Antarctic meltwater on ocean dynamics in climate projections.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Nissen, C., Timmermann, R., Hoppema, M., Gürses, Ö. & Hauck, J. Abruptly attenuated carbon sequestration with Weddell Sea dense waters by 2100. Nat. Commun. 13, 3402 (2022). This paper models the biogeochemical effects of Antarctic basal melt in climate projections.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hellmer, H. H., Kauker, F., Timmermann, R., Determann, J. & Rae, J. Twenty-first-century warming of a large Antarctic ice-shelf cavity by a redirected coastal current. Nature 485, 225–228 (2012). This paper reports that a warmer climate could lead to a tipping point for the FRIS.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Song, P. et al. Regional conditions determine thresholds of accelerated Antarctic basal melt in climate projection. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02306-0 (2025).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

The impact of Antarctic ice-shelf cavities on Earth system dynamics. Nat. Clim. Chang. 15, 475–476 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02307-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02307-z

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing