Antarctica often feels like another planet. It is vast, cold, and still full of unknowns.

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Scientists go there to study ice, climate, and the deep history of Earth. What happens in Antarctica does not stay there. Changes on this frozen continent can affect coastlines and sea levels around the world.

Melting Glaciers Is a Major Cause

New research shows that Antarctica is far more active beneath the ice than once believed, according to WP. Scientists have confirmed hundreds of icequakes recorded over more than a decade.

Icequakes are a special kind of earthquake that happen when massive blocks of ice break away from glaciers and crash into the sea. These events send vibrations through the ground that can travel for thousands of kilometers.

The study focused on data collected between 2010 and 2023. Most of the tremors were found near Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. This glacier is often called the “doomsday” glacier because of the risk it poses to global sea levels. If it were to collapse completely, sea levels could rise by as much as three meters.

The research was led by seismologist Dr. Thanh-Son Phạm from the Australian National University. He used seismic stations placed directly on the Antarctic continent.

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This approach allowed him to detect smaller events that global monitoring systems often miss. In total, more than 360 icequakes were identified. Many of them had never been recorded before.

Icequakes Are Harder to Study

Icequakes behave differently from regular earthquakes. They do not produce high-frequency seismic waves. This makes them harder to detect and study. In Greenland, similar events are larger and tend to follow seasonal warming patterns. In Antarctica, the picture is more complex.

The strongest period of icequake activity near Thwaites occurred between 2018 and 2020. This timing matched satellite observations showing faster movement of the glacier toward the sea. Ocean conditions may play a major role, but more research is needed to understand the process.

Another group of tremors was found near Pine Island Glacier. These events happened far inland, which suggests a different cause. Scientists are still trying to explain what triggers them.

These findings matter because icequakes offer clues about glacier stability. By listening to the ice, researchers can better understand how fast Antarctica is changing and what that means for the future of global sea levels.