Water streaming across Antarctica worries scientists (video)

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Scientists have found that water is gushing across Antarctica — more than they ever realized.

And this is kind of worrying, they say.

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Is Antarctica melting more than previously thought? via WONG SANG LEE/KOREA POLAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE VIA EARTH INSTITUTE/YOUTUBE

Seen from an aircraft, a 400-foot-wide waterfall drains off the Nansen Ice Shelf into the ocean:

The researchers have found significant drainage of meltwater flowing across the continent’s ice sheets during summer in Antarctica. Until now, these streams of water were mainly associated only with Antarctica’s far north regions.

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Scientists have found that seasonally flowing streams fringe much of Antarctica’s ice. “X” represents a separate drainage. Until now, these drainages were associated mainly with Antarctica’s far north peninsula (on the upper left). ADAPTED FROM KINGSLAKE ET AL., NATURE 2017

The discovery of widespread streams across the continent is ominous news, indicating Antarctica’s ice may be much more vulnerable to melting than scientists predicted. Free-flowing water, which absorbs solar energy more than ice, puts nearby ice at greater risk of melting. – CBSNews and Nature Sience

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