"Ice Bumps Unveil Antarctic Melting History Amid Climate Change"

Scientists have used the changing shapes of "ice bumps" on the Antarctic ice surface to track the melting of glaciers anchored in place, revealing that more than a third of these pinning points have reduced in size since 2000. This acceleration in melting underscores the increasing contribution of Antarctic ice losses to future global sea-level rise. The study, published in Nature, focused on the ice shelves that fringe 75% of Antarctica's coastline, highlighting the vulnerability of these floating fronts of glaciers to warm water and thinning. By analyzing decades of satellite images, researchers gained a deeper understanding of when and where ice loss began, emphasizing the importance of these pinning points in providing structural support to the ice sheet.