Antarctica
Antarctica, a key regulator of global systems, is being impacted by climate change. Our researchers strive to understand the role Antarctica will play in a warming world.
Antarctica’s unique role
Antarctica and its ice, ocean and ecosystems play a critical role in regulating global climate. They contribute to slowing global heating, driving important ocean currents and drawing down millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
A make a difference moment
The amount of sea level rise in our future would be devastating for our coastal communities. We have to avoid it.
The climate crisis is disrupting Antarctica’s delicate systems. The composition of the water around Antarctica is changing, becoming warmer, fresher and less dense, which may lead to disruptive changes in global ocean circulation.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet, which accounts for 62% of Earth’s freshwater, is in decline, a process which is contributing to global sea level rise. Changes to Antarctica may have serious implications for life on earth.
A global effort to understand
GNS Science is part of a global effort to understand how climate change is impacting Antarctica and how changes to Antarctica will impacts global systems. We also look for clues in Antarctica’s ice sheets about what past conditions were like during warmer periods of Earth’s history.
This knowledge will help scientists predict what might happen in the future if global temperatures continue on their current trajectory towards 2.7°C above pre-industrial levels. Predictions will allow us to better prepare for the future.
The past is the key to our future | Dr. Katelyn Johnson
Paleoclimate science is vitally important to our understanding of the whole climate system.
