Clues from the Past Reveal the West Antarctic Ice Sheet’s Vulnerability to Warming
Summary
Ancient sediment records show the ice sheet retreated at least five times during warmer periods millions of years ago
A record of repeated retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the past warm climates has been identified by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 379 Scientists. By analyzing deep-sea sediments from the Amundsen Sea and tracing their geochemical signatures, the study shows that the ice sheet retreated far inland at least five times during the warm Pliocene Epoch. The findings highlight the ice sheet’s sensitivity to warming and its potential to drive future sea-level rise.
- Image title： Tracking the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Pliocene
- Image caption： By studying Pliocene sediments deposited when Earth was warmer than today, the researchers found that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated far inland at least five times. These findings provide critical insight into how the ice sheet may respond to ongoing climate warming and the potential scale of future sea-level rise.
- Credit：Professor Keiji Horikawa from the University of Toyama, Japan
- License type：Original content
- Usage restrictions：You are free to share and adapt the material. Attribution is required
Research Details
Clues from the Past Reveal the West Antarctic Ice Sheet’s Vulnerability to Warming[PDF, 546KB]
Reference
Title of original paper
Repeated major inland retreat of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers (West Antarctica) during the Pliocene
Journal
PNAS
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2508341122
Additional information for EurekAlert
Latest Article Publication Date
6 January 2026
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
Not Applicable
Conflicts of Interest Statement
The authors declare no competing interest.
Media contact
Yumiko Kato
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