The Melt We Can See, But Still Don’t Fully Understand

As all these meltwater processes in the ablation area build up, from small surface pools to deep tunnels and hidden rivers, a pathway is created.

But water doesn’t just sit on top. It moves from the surface, through the ice, all the way to the bottom.

That changes everything.

When meltwater reaches the base, it lifts and weakens the ice. That means the glacier becomes less connected to the land and more like it’s floating.

This lets warm ocean water creep underneath,
melting the glacier from below and causing it to lose ice even faster.

And here’s the scary part:

Most ice loss models don’t include this.

This hidden melt could be one of the biggest drivers of future sea level rise.