Underwater Time Bomb: Meltwater Ponds Threaten Antarctic Stability

An Antarctic expedition has found that increased temperatures from climate change are causing ponds that weaken ice.
A team of scientists who installed instruments on an Antarctic ice shelf discovered that meltwater ponds were causing the ice to flex and fracture.

Though scientists had predicted the phenomenon, this was the first time it was observed in the field.

The finding raises concerns that, as climate change progresses and more melting occurs, vulnerable ice shelves in Antarctica will collapse—contributing to global sea rise.