Antarctica’s Hidden Landscape and Fast‑Increasing Ice Melt Raise Sea‑Level Concerns

Antarctica, the world’s coldest, driest and highest continent, holds about 90 % of the planet’s ice and covers roughly 13.7 million km². Its average elevation is about 2,500 m, and it is technically the largest desert on Earth. Recent research funded by Brazil’s FAPESP shows that “atmospheric rivers” – narrow corridors that carry heat and moisture from the tropics to the poles – have intensified, delivering additional warmth to the ice sheet and accelerating melt.

Beneath the thick ice, extensive mountain ranges such as the Transantarctic Mountains and hidden valleys are being revealed as the ice retreats. Sediment samples from peaks like Monte Sirius indicate that parts of the continent once experienced temperatures up to 25 °C warmer than today, suggesting a dramatically different climate in the distant past. The combined effect of faster surface melt and the exposure of underlying topography is expected to contribute further to global sea‑level rise.