Eastern Antarctica glaciers once thought to be stable are melting from below as warmer water flows erode their roots, a new scientific study has revealed.

The six-month study by researchers on the Polarstern icebreaker is said to be one of the most comprehensive ever attempted to assess the stability of the ice.

Massive ice bodies like the Denman Glacier have been thought to be far less at risk than others in the more vulnerable western Antarctic.

But scientists behind the new study say it reveals that glaciers like Denman are being eaten away from below as well.

Researchers took core samples from the sea bed below the glacier to establish how fast they were melting and whether the process was accelerating.

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Antarctica

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Huge glaciers once thought to be stable in eastern Antarctica are melting from below as warmer water flows erode their roots, a new scientific study has revealed.

The six-month study by researchers on the Polarstern icebreaker is said to be one of the most comprehensive ever attempted to assess the stability of the ice.
Massive ice bodies like the Denman Glacier have been thought to be far less at risk than others in the more vulnerable western Antarctic.

But scientists behind the new study say it reveals that glaciers like Denman are being eaten away from below as well.

Researchers took core samples from the sea bed below the glacier to establish how fast they were melting and whether the process was accelerating.