Articles | Volume 20, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-6241-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-6241-2026
Research article
 | 
02 Nov 2026
Research article |  | 02 Nov 2026

Transition to a much warmer climate for the global ocean and Antarctic Ice Sheet coupled system, and its reversibility

Pierre Mathiot, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Benoit Urruty, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Olivier Gagliardini, and Gael Durand

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Cited articles

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How the Antarctic ice sheet responds to rapid ocean warming remains uncertain. To explore this, we used a coupled ocean–ice sheet model. We compared simulations under present-day conditions with simulations under strong future warming for 50 years, then returned to today's climate. The ocean warmed quickly but recovered within decades. In contrast, several ice streams continued to retreat for centuries. This shows that even brief warming could cause lasting ice loss and sea-level rise.
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