Turkish science team finds Antarctic has lost ice equivalent to the size of Türkiye

ANTARCTICA

Over the last three years, Antarctica has lost an area of ice equivalent to the size of the country of Türkiye, over 785,000 square kilometers (303,090 square miles), Turkish researchers working on the continent have announced.

Scientists on Türkiye’s 8th National Antarctic Scientific Expedition studying the impact of global climate change analyzed data showing an average decrease of 7 cubic meters (247 cubic feet) in a 100 square m (1,076 square ft) area of ice and snow cover at Horseshoe Island between 2022 and 2023. This translates to an area reduction of approximately 11%.

Scientists warn that continued ice melt at this rate could lead to increased water vapor in the atmosphere and higher greenhouse gas concentrations, potentially accelerating global climate change.

Researchers at Türkiye's camp on Horseshoe Island, equipped with satellite navigation stations, tracked parameters like atmospheric water vapor and observed substantial melting in snow/ice areas via UAV and satellite-based methods.

The Turkish expedition is under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency and coordinated by the MAM Polar Research Institute of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), based in the capital Ankara.

Glacier loss equivalent to Türkiye's size

Professor Burcu Ozsoy, head of the first Turkish polar research center, Istanbul Technical University PolReC, and coordinator of the Turkish expedition, reported significant ice loss in Antarctica, affecting both sea ice and glaciers.

"We are able to track the retreat and changes in glaciers year after year through drone footage, equipment readings, and GNSS (satellite navigation) stations we set up at our research sites in Antarctica," Ozsoy told Anadolu.

Emphasizing that data collected over several years reveals observable losses, Ozsoy said: "If we extrapolate the amount we measured in these past three years to the entirety of Antarctica, the ice loss we witnessed would be equivalent to the size of Türkiye."

Fahri Karabulut, a researcher from Istanbul’s Yildiz Technical University participating in the expedition, reported collaborative efforts with Bulgarian researchers led by Associate Professor Mahmut Oguz Selbesoglu to quantify the melting of Antarctic glaciers.

"Using drones, we observed an area reduction of approximately 10% in the glaciers. Extrapolating this ratio, the ice loss equates to an area roughly the size of Türkiye," Karabulut said.

In addition to the 10% area loss, we observed cracks in the glaciers. By calculating the width of these cracks, we determined the extent of loss and annual displacement. This allows us to observe and quantify melting both visually and numerically, offering firsthand insights into the consequences of global warming," he added.