East Antarctic glacier melting at 70.8bn tonnes a year due to warm sea water

Melting of a glacier in a remote part of Antarctica is taking place at 70.8bn tonnes a year, according to scientists from Australia’s CSIRO. Photograph: NASA/Reuters

The Denman ice shelf in east Antarctica is melting at a rate of 70.8bn tonnes a year, according to researchers from Australia’s national science agency, thanks to the ingress of warm sea water.

The CSIRO researchers, led by senior scientist Esmee van Wijk, said their observations suggested the Denman glacier was potentially at risk of unstable retreat.