The Wilkes Subglacial Basin in Antarctica is a massive area of ice, measuring 1,400 kilometers by 400 kilometers, with much of it lying below sea level. If all the ice in this region were to melt due to climate change, global sea levels could rise by 3 to 4 meters. This has happened before—during the Pliocene epoch, around three million years ago, when temperatures were similar to what we may reach by the end of this century. During that time, ice caps melted significantly, retreating hundreds of kilometers inland, and global sea levels were 6 to 23 meters higher than today. Marine sediment records show that this melting radically altered the shape of Antarctica, raising concerns about the potential for similar changes in the future. The ocean plays a crucial role in the stability of the Wilkes Basin. The rock beneath the ice lies as deep as 2,000 meters below sea level. Currently, the thick ice prevents the ocean from reaching the basin’s interior, but the ocean is in constant contact with its edges. Water temperatures off the coast of eastern Antarctica hover around -1.8 degrees Celsius. Even a small rise in ocean temperatures, due to global warming or changes in ocean currents, could accelerate the melting of ice at the basin’s edges. As the ice retreats, the sloping terrain allows the ocean to erode more ice, creating a self-sustaining cycle that could make the melting unstoppable. Most of the information about the Wilkes Basin comes from aircraft equipped with radar that can penetrate the ice, revealing its shape and highlighting its vulnerability. Satellite observations have recorded the first known collapse of a marine-terminating ice shelf in eastern Antarctica during the 1970s or 1980s. However, much remains unknown, including the paths by which warm ocean water reaches the ice and how ocean temperatures have changed over time. Without this data, it is difficult to accurately predict the rate of ice melting. The Wilkes Subglacial Basin is one of the least explored places on Earth, not because it is remote, but because it is protected by a thick, stable ice shelf. While satellite images can offer some information, they cannot see through ice or the ocean. Scientists would need to conduct fieldwork in person, which is extremely challenging. Accessing the basin by sea requires the best icebreakers, and no ship has yet reached closer than 150 kilometers to the Cook Glacier, a major glacier in the region. Even if an expedition reaches the area, scientists would need to use robotic sensors to map the ocean and the seabed in detail. Despite these challenges, the Wilkes Basin is becoming more accessible. Countries like Australia and New Zealand, along with other Antarctic nations, are better equipped to travel long distances to support aerial surveys and field camps. New technologies now allow scientists to drill more than three kilometers into the ice to collect sediment and rock samples from beneath. These samples can reveal traces of ancient marine life, providing clues about how far and how quickly the ice retreated in the past when the ocean reached the basin. As ice on land melts faster, and floating ice shelves melt from below, understanding the Wilkes Basin has become more urgent. A multinational effort spanning several years, both at sea and on land, will be needed to study this massive ice reservoir and the risks it poses.