Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 20:06
Forums
Ice Core Drilling in West Antarctica 2010

Are the ice caves near the Erebus Ice Tongue known for being stable? I ask because I would be scared that the caves would collapse.

Sat, 12/25/2010 - 08:18

Heidi Roop

Hi, That is a great question. The Erebus Ice Tongue is quite stable where the ice caves are located. When there is sea ice, the margins of the ice tongue are more stable. When the sea ice melts and the ice caves are exposed to open water, the margins of the ice tongue get carved by the waves and tides.
Before visiting the ice caves, professional mountaineers check for the safety and stability of the caves before allowing people inside. Throughout the season, the ice caves are inspected and if they are deemed unsafe, you can no longer visit them. Right after I was able to visit, they stopped running tours for the season, as the sea ice was weakening and it was dangerous to travel to the caves.
Thank you for your question!
Best,
Heidi