Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin's Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) in the Jackson School of Geosciences have recently discovered two seafloor gateways.

Researchers believe that these gateways might be allowing the warm ocean water to enter the base of the Totten Glacier, East Antarctica's largest outlet of ice and the most rapidly thinning glacier.

The findings, published in the March 16th edition of the journal Nature Geoscience, explain the reason behind glacier's fast melting and also raised concerns about how it will impact the sea level.

Jamin Greenbaum, one of the researchers, said in a news release that they know there are avenues for the warmest waters in east Antarctica to access the most sensitive areas of Totten Glacier.

The team during the study conducted five Antarctic field campaigns using aircraft packed with equipment meant to analyze the ice and seafloor in regions where icebreakers are unable to reach.

It was the result of this keen survey that they were successful in finding the two new passageways.

Researchers said it is quite important to note that the overlying thicker ice of the California-sized interior basin that lies below sea level is susceptible to rapid loss if warm ocean currents sufficiently thin coastal ice.

Greenbaum said, "Now we know the ocean is melting ice in an area of the glacier that we thought was totally cut off before. Knowing this will improve predictions of ice melt and the timing of future glacier retreat".

The findings of the study reveal a lot about the East Antarctic. And as the temperatures continue to warm, it is quite hard for them to note what factors are responsible for the change.