Why scientists are worried about Antarctica’s giant ice cracks

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In Antarctica, two giant rifts, known as Chasm 1 and Halloween Crack, split across the Brunt Ice Shelf. The implications of the cracks are huge as ice shelves hold back huge volumes of landlocked water, regulating its entry into the oceans surrounding Antarctica. But as global warming increases, so too does the likelihood of cracks, calving and the potential collapse of these protective shelves. Events that would have huge ramifications for increased sea level rise. With around 230 million people already living within 1 metre of sea level, the risks are too huge to ignore. That’s why scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are studying the cracks to understand how they form and propagate through the ice, with the aim of modelling the events to better predict future rift activity.

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