“The deepest canyon on Earth is melting.” NASA’s alarm

In Eastern Antarctic, global warming is melting even the deepest frozen crater in the world, the Denmam canyon, which has already lost 270 billion tons. This was revealed by data collected by satellite radars from 1996 to 2018 relating to Denman, the deepest gorge on the planet, which reaches 3,500 meters below sea level. The results of NASA’s research were published in the American Geophysical Union’s journal Geophysical Research Letters. From top to bottom the canyon is full of ice and, like all other glaciers, is particularly vulnerable to global warming, responsible for its melting.

According to the findings of the US space agency, the warmer water of the oceans is eroding and thinning the ice sections of Denman. Scientists warn that when the ice of the gigantic canyon is completely excavated, the global sea level would rise by 1.5 meters.

“How fast can it happen? Hard to say, as there are several factors that come into play but currently we cannot make predictions. These include the narrowness of the channel along which Denman is retiring which could slow down his retreat, “Virginia Brancato of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory explained to BBC.

In 22 years the land line of the glacier has lost 5-6 km and it would be the shape of the rocky substratum under Denman to explain its asymmetrical retreat, mostly on the western side of the glacier.

On this side, according to the researchers, a narrow but considerable depression would allow the warm water of the ocean to erode the land line and push it back. A buried ridge is blocking and protecting the eastern side. “The glaciers of eastern Antarctica are generally considered stable, almost quiescent. But I think Denman is currently the most risky melting glacier in this area, “said Eric Rignot, a NASA researcher.