Why will the pressure at the bottom of the ice sheet be the highest?

The water mixture is then relatively dense and warm. It flows along the bottom of the continental shelf that is—in many cases—deepening inland and therefore reaches far beneath the ice shelf. When the water reaches to the ice shelf base it is far below sea level and at a higher pressure.

What is underneath the Antarctic ice sheet?

The lakes grow and shrink beneath the ice. Scientists have discovered two new lakes buried deep beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. These hidden gems of frigid water are part of a vast network of ever-changing lakes hidden beneath 1.2 to 2.5 miles (2 to 4 kilometers) of ice on the southernmost continent.

How thick is the ice in Antarctica in feet?

“The average thickness of the Antarctic ice is 2,000 m (6,500 feet), and the greatest measured thickness is more than 4,770 m (15,650 feet).”

What is the thickest ice sheet on Earth?

the Antarctic Ice Sheet
The thickest ice in the world forms part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet where it sits over a region known as the Astrolabe Subglacial Basin to the south of the Adélie Coast. Here, the ice sheet has been measured to be 4,897 metres (16,066 feet) thick.

Why does ice melt from the bottom?

Around March, as the air warms and the sun gets more intense, the snow melts, allowing light to penetrate the ice. Because the ice acts like the glass in a greenhouse, the water beneath it begins to warm, and the ice begins to melt FROM THE BOTTOM.

How much of Antarctica is below sea level?

Most of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is grounded below sea level, in places over 1.5 miles below sea level. These two ice sheets cover all but 2.4 percent of Antarctica’s 14 million square kilometers.

How deep is the snow and ice in Antarctica?

Variations in Extent