East Antarctica’s Wilkes Subglacial Basin Could Raise Global Sea Levels by 3-4 Meters, Study Warns
An international team of scientists has highlighted the urgent need to study the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, a region in East Antarctica with the potential to raise global sea levels by 3 to 4 meters if climate change accelerates ice melt. The basin, one of the least explored areas of the continent, contains an ice sheet resting on bedrock up to 2,000 meters below sea level, making it particularly vulnerable to warming ocean currents.
The findings, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment and discussed in multiple sources, emphasize the basin’s role in future sea-level projections. The ocean is the great enemy of ice,
said Dimitris Evangelinos, a researcher at the University of Barcelona, noting that warm water could trigger rapid ice retreat. The basin’s unique geography, with a retrograde slope that deepens inland, may exacerbate instability, according to the study.
Limited Data and Collaborative Efforts to Address the Unknown
The scientific community is now prioritizing research to answer critical questions: Is warm ocean water reaching the glaciers? What does the seafloor look like beneath the ice? And what warming thresholds could trigger irreversible ice loss? The study, involving experts from 14 countries, calls for coordinated global efforts to address these gaps. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has established a working group to oversee future investigations.
Implications for Coastal Nations, Particularly Australia
The basin’s potential impact extends beyond Antarctica. Australia, which shares a close geographic proximity to the region, faces significant economic risks. Projections suggest that rising sea levels could cost the country 855 billion dollars this century, as 85% of its population lives in coastal areas. No single nation can tackle this challenge alone,
King said, stressing the need for international collaboration.
While the exact timeline and scale of ice retreat remain uncertain, evidence of change is already emerging. The Cook Glacier has thinned rapidly since the 1990s, discharging 40 billion tonnes of ice annually. Climate models suggest that once certain stability thresholds are crossed, the ice sheet could retreat at speeds of up to one kilometer per year, with effects persisting for thousands of years.
Calls for Immediate Action as Climate Pressures Mount
The study shows that one of the last major unknowns in Antarctic science urgently needs to be addressed. With climate change accelerating, the fate of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin may hold key insights into the planet’s future.