Uncovering a Hidden Threat Beneath the Ice
An international team led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is pursuing an ambitious goal: to understand how glacier calving around Antarctica can generate powerful underwater tsunamis. While surface calving events are dramatic and visible from satellites, the waves they create beneath the ocean’s surface can travel long distances with the potential to affect marine ecosystems, seabed structures, and coastal environments far from the ice front.
The research team brings together glaciologists, oceanographers, and geophysicists who will combine in-situ measurements with computer modeling to capture the full chain of events—from ice loss to oceanic wave propagation. By documenting the physics of energy transfer when ice breaks away and plunges into frigid seas, scientists aim to improve predictions of underwater waves that were previously challenging to observe.
How Calving Translates to Underwater Motion
Glacier calving can unleash massive amounts of kinetic energy as ice chunks crack, flip, and finally disintegrate, displacing seawater and generating compressional and shear waves along the ocean floor. This process creates complex wave trains that travel in all directions, influenced by water depth, seabed topography, and ocean currents. The team’s work focuses on identifying the key parameters that determine wave height, duration, and reach—factors essential for anticipating any downstream impacts on submarine ecosystems, offshore infrastructure, and remote communities relying on Antarctic seas for resources and research bases.
State-of-the-Art Methods in a Harsh Environment
Researchers will deploy a network of ocean-bottom sensors, hydrophones, and autonomous instruments to capture signals generated by calving events. These tools record pressure changes, seismic activity, and water column properties, offering a multi-layered view of underwater tsunamis as they unfold. In tandem with field data, satellite observations of glacier velocity and calving fronts provide context for when and where calving episodes occur.
Numerical models will translate measurements into predictions of wave propagation, including how underwater tsunamis interact with features such as ridges, troughs, and continental shelves. The models help explore scenarios—from single large calving events to cascading ice losses that occur over weeks and months—giving scientists a better sense of risk and timing for affected regions.
Why This Research Matters
Antarctica plays a unique role in the Earth’s climate and ocean systems. Understanding underwater tsunamis caused by calving is not only a matter of scientific curiosity; it has practical implications for submarine cables, offshore operations, and the health of fragile marine habitats that lie along polar shelves. The insights gained could also improve global tsunami science, as similar energy transfer mechanisms may occur in other glacier-fed seas around the world.
As sea ice changes, calving patterns are expected to shift, potentially altering the frequency and magnitude of underwater wave events. By building an evidence-based framework, the BAS-led team hopes to create better early-warning signals and risk assessments for researchers stationed in Antarctica and for coastal communities connected to ocean routes in the Southern Ocean.
Collaborative Science for a Warming World
The project relies on collaboration across national programs and research institutions, leveraging shared data repositories and joint expeditions. In a worldview shaped by rapid climate change, the study of Antarctica’s underwater tsunamis represents a crucial frontier—one where careful measurements, transparent methods, and robust models can guide policy, safety planning, and long-term stewardship of polar seas.
