When it comes to measuring ice loss at the poles , and predicting what might happen next, scientists need as much accurate data as they can get – and a new study suggests there’s a big source of geothermal heat underneath East Antarctica that we haven’t yet factored into our calculations. Ice in this area appears to be melting from the bottom up, according to radar readings taken by an aircraft flying over the frozen continent. The radar was able to penetrate through three kilometres (nearly two miles) of ice to map the conditions underneath it. As the base of the Antarctic ice sheet melts, meltwater drains away and fills up subglacial lakes downstream. While this process might not be a major contributor to ice loss right now, the international team of scientists says it could cause faster melting in the future, as water and ice can escape more […]