Beneath the Surface: An Airborne Radar Investigation on Ice Shelf Basal Conditions and their Influences on the Antarctic Ice Sheet

Antarctic ice shelves play a critical role in regulating global sea level by controlling the flow of ice from the continent to the ocean. Basal melting, driven by ocean circulation beneath ice shelves, accounts for nearly half of Antarctica’s mass loss, yet its variability and long-term impacts remain poorly understood. This project uses airborne radar sounding to observe conditions beneath ice shelves through interior thermal state. The results will improve our understanding of what controls ice shelf stability today and help predict how Antarctica will respond to ongoing climate change.