When glaciers calve: Large underwater tsunamis discovered at edge of Antarctica, likely affecting ice melt, climate and marine ecosystem

The mixing of water in the ocean is a key influence on our climate and ecosystems, but its importance is often under-recognized. Mixing in the seas around Antarctica—a key process that redistributes heat, carbon, nutrients, plankton, and all other things in the sea, with profound consequences—also affects the stability of the continent’s glaciers and ice sheets, with consequences for sea level rise globally. A recent discovery showed that when the fronts of glaciers disintegrate, they “calve” huge chunks of ice that can cause underwater tsunamis in the ocean, which can spread for many miles and cause strong bursts of mixing when they break. This surprising finding is changing the way we think about mixing close to Antarctica, what causes it, and how it matters.

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