Hidden water networks beneath the ice reveal fresh insights into glacier dynamics and global sea level risks 

Researchers have identified 85 previously unknown subglacial lakes beneath Antarctica, increasing the total of known active lakes under the continent’s ice by more than half to 231. The discovery, made using a decade of data from the European Space Agency’s CryoSat satellite, sheds new light on the movement and stability of glaciers and their influence on global sea levels.

Published in Nature Communications, the study highlights the importance of active subglacial lakes, which drain and refill on a cyclical basis, offering rare insights into processes occurring at the base of the ice sheet. The research also revealed new drainage pathways, including five interconnected subglacial lake networks, which play a key role in ice dynamics.

Lead author Sally Wilson, a doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, noted the difficulty of studying these hidden water bodies. “It is incredibly difficult to observe subglacial lake filling and draining events in these conditions, especially since they take several months or years to fill and drain,” she said. Prior to this study, only 36 complete fill-drain cycles had been documented globally. The team observed an additional 12, bringing the total to 48.

Subglacial lakes are crucial to understanding the flow and stability of Antarctic glaciers. Changes in these water systems can accelerate ice movement, affecting ice sheet stability and, ultimately, global sea level rise.

The findings underscore the need for continued monitoring of Antarctica’s hidden hydrological systems to improve predictions of ice sheet behaviour and inform climate models.