Scientists from Harvard, together with colleagues, analyzed satellite data from 2003-2018 and came to the conclusion that the melting ice of Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic deforms the earth's crust, forcing it to move not only vertically, but also horizontally.. This phenomenon is observed over a large area, writes Phys. org.

“Imagine a wooden plank floating on the surface of a bathtub water.. When you press down on the board, the water will move downward.

If you lift the board, the water will begin to rise vertically, filling the space. Similarly, the melting of glaciers is affecting the crust below them, ”explained lead author Sophie Coulson..

In some parts of Antarctica, she said, crustal movement changes the slope of the bedrock under the ice, and this affects its dynamics..

A better understanding of crustal movements caused by the loss of large volumes of ice will help in observing tectonic shifts and seismic activity.