Abstract: Focusing on the glacial advance and retreat history in the Ross Sea, and from the perspective of multi-layer interaction, this paper analyzes and summarizes the exploration status and research understanding on the West Antartic Rift System, cold and warm water exchange channels, various disastrous external forces affecting on the Ross Ice Shelf, and distribution of benthos or activities of mammals. The tectonic, volcanic and magmatic activities in the Ross Sea and its surrounding areas are the most active in the Antarctic plate, and their direct influence on the advance and retreat of ancient ice sheets on the shelf and the dynamic balance of the modern ice shelf has been rarely studied, but the sedimentary structure, outward growth and topography/geomorphology of the shelf display strong glacial-geological processes. The current dynamic balance of the Ross Ice Shelf and the distribution law of cold water corals and other benthic organisms are closely related to the exchange of mass and heat between the Modified Circumpolar Deep Water and the cold Antarctic Bottom Water along the three major ice erosion troughs. Meanwhile, the monitoring of seismographs laid by the United States on the Ross Ice Shelf and hydrophones deployed by South Korea offshore of the Terra Nova Bay shows that the mechanical effects of earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and storms from the Pacific Ocean on the Ross Ice Shelf can not be underestimated. Viewing from the glacial advance and retreat history or the current ice shelf openness, the exploration and research of the outer Ross Sea shelf and its shoulder and slope is still basically blank In order to dissect the adjustment mechanisms for both the advance and retreat of ancient ice sheets on the shelf and the dynamic balance of the Ross Ice Shelf at present, it is suggested that China should strengthen the multidisciplinary survey, observation and monitoring in this region, and carry out long-term observation of subsurface buoy and OBS along the three major ice erosion troughs.

Key words: Ross Sea, continental Shelf, Ross Ice Shelf, ice erosion trough, hydrophone, ocean bottom seismometer(OBS)