Ice Shelf Collapses In Eastern Antarctica Amid Soaring Temperatures.

Why in news?

• For the first time, since wide availability of satellite images, Scientists observed breakup of Conger Ice Shelf in eastern Antarctica.
• It is happening due to rising temperatures with both North and South Pole seeing warmer than average temperature despite opposite seasons.
• Also, a new research highlighted that Antarctica is approaching a climate tipping point by 2060– when Antarctic ice could begin melting at a runaway rate.
• Climate tipping points are points where any small change could push the earth system into abrupt or irreversible change.
• Globally, we have 9 climate tipping points-
• Amazon rainforest-Frequent droughts
• Arctic sea ice-Reduction in area
• Atlantic circulation-in slowdown since 1950s
• Boreal forest Fires and pests
• Coral reefs-Large-scale die-offs
• Greenland ice sheet-Ice loss accelerating
• Permafrost -thawing
• West Antarctic ice sheet-Ice loss accelerating
• Wilkes Basin, East Antarctica-Ice loss accelerating

About Antarctica

• 5^th largest continent, Antarctica holds 90% of the Earth’s total ice volume and 70% of its fresh water.
• Critical to global ecosystem sustainability, it absorbs as much as 62% of global heat and 40% of all carbon dioxide produced by human activities.
• Also, it is a rich source of minerals (oil and gas), marine life (finfish, krill, squid) and genomic resources of indigenous biodiversity.
• Melting of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is enough to increase sea level by more than 60 m.