West Antarctica
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What Can Fossil Corals in the Cook Islands Teach Us About Global Sea Level Rise?
Scientists are studying fossil coral reefs in the Cook Islands to reconstruct sea levels during the Last Interglacial, and hoping to improve projections of future change.
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Increase in West Antarctic Ice Sheet Melting Inevitable in 21st Century
Significant ocean warming and associated ice-shelf melting is unavoidable, even under the most ambitious future climate scenario, according to new research.
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Antarctica Glacier Named for Glasgow Climate Negotiations at COP26
The Antarctic Place Naming Commission has agreed to name glaciers on the Southern Continent after city locations of past and present climate treaties.
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Scientists Link Climate Change to Melting in West Antarctica
A new study shows, for the first time, evidence of a link between human-caused global warming and melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
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U.S., UK Scientists Join to Study Possible Collapse of Massive Antarctic Glacier
An international collaboration will study the wasting of the Thwaites glacier, which already accounts for around 4 percent of current global sea-level rise, and could collapse within decades or centuries.
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Exploring Beneath Earth’s Changing Ice Sheets
If just the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt, it would raise global sea level by 6 meters. That’s more than a theoretical problem. West Antarctica is losing ice mass, and scientists are worried.
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Smooth Sailing Back to Tasmania
After a surprisingly smooth crossing of the Southern Ocean, with favorable winds we arrived back in Hobart, Tasmania. The weather maps show that we just got ahead of another big storm system.
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Taking a 4,000-Meter-Deep Profile of Antarctic Waters
In addition to understanding potential pathways for “warmer” circumpolar deep water to reach the ice shelf, we are also measuring what the structure and properties of the water column are and determining if there is already warmer water on or near the continental shelf that could already interact with the glaciers of East Antarctica today.
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Mapping the Seafloor
One of the goals of this expedition is to investigate if water from the Southern Ocean with temperatures above the melting point of glaciers could reach the glaciers in East Antarctica, and if there are any obstacles on the seafloor of the shelf that impact the ability of such water to reach the glaciers and…

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!
