Scientists at Norway’s iC3 Polar Research Hub found hidden channels beneath East Antarctica’s Fimbulisen Ice Shelf that can trap warm water and sharply accelerate melting where the ice is most vulnerable.
Modeling showed even small amounts of warmer water can raise melt rates by an order of magnitude inside the channels, helping them grow and weakening the shelf’s overall stability.
The team reached that conclusion by combining a detailed map of the ice shelf’s underside with ocean-cavity simulations that compared smooth and channeled bases under cooler and warmer conditions.
If the channels expand enough to destabilize the shelf, more land ice could flow into the ocean; researchers said future sea-level models need to include these small-scale melting processes to avoid underestimating risk.
Hidden channels are trapping ocean heat under Antarctica. Is this the tipping point for irreversible sea level rise?
If climate models missed this Antarctic threat, what other major climate risks are we currently underestimating?
Hidden Ocean Channels Accelerate Antarctic Ice Shelf Melting: New Study Reveals Major Sea-Level Rise Risk
Overview
A groundbreaking study published in May 2026 revealed that the Fimbulisen Ice Shelf in East Antarctica is far more vulnerable than previously believed. Researchers discovered hidden, channel-like grooves beneath the ice shelf that trap and direct warmer ocean water toward the ice. Even small amounts of warmer water can accelerate melting through these channels, challenging the long-held assumption that this region is stable. This new understanding highlights a critical, previously unrecognized weakness in what was thought to be a resilient part of Antarctica, suggesting that the stability of similar ice shelves may also need to be reconsidered.