Scientists have discovered that the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is melting at an alarming rate and may be on an irreversible path to collapse. This situation poses a significant threat to global sea levels, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences for coastal communities around the world.
As per a report by CNN, the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) has been studying the glacier since 2018 using ice-breaking ships and underwater robots. Their findings, detailed in a recent report, provide a sobering look at Thwaites’ accelerating ice loss. According to Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, the glacier’s retreat has significantly sped up over the past 30 years, and it is expected to continue this trend throughout this century.
Scientists estimate that the Thwaites Glacier could collapse within 200 years, releasing enough water to raise sea levels by more than 2 feet. However, because Thwaites acts as a crucial barrier holding back the Antarctic Ice Sheet, its collapse could ultimately contribute to a staggering 10 feet rise in sea levels, impacting major coastal cities from Miami to London and vulnerable areas like Bangladesh and the Pacific Islands.
The glacier’s unique geography makes it particularly susceptible to melting. Its land slopes downward, allowing warm ocean water to reach deeper ice layers as it melts. Previous research had provided limited insight into the processes driving its retreat, which scientists have now begun to clarify through a series of innovative experiments.
One significant advancement involved a torpedo-shaped robot named Icefin, which was deployed to the glacier’s grounding line, the critical point where ice begins to float. Glaciologist Kiya Riverman described the moment Icefin reached this area as emotionally impactful, likening it to the excitement of the moon landing. The robot revealed that the glacier is melting in unexpected ways, with warm water infiltrating deep cracks and channels in the ice.
Additional studies utilizing satellite and GPS data found that seawater is pushing more than 6 miles beneath Thwaites, further accelerating melting. Researchers also reconstructed the glacier’s history, noting that rapid retreat began in the 1940s, likely triggered by a strong El Niño event.
While the news is mostly grim, scientists found some hope in their computer modeling. Although there is concern that the collapse of Thwaites’ ice shelves could destabilize towering cliffs of ice, making them more likely to tumble into the ocean, models suggest that this scenario may not be as imminent as previously thought.
Despite the progress made in understanding Thwaites, experts emphasize the urgency for continued research. Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at the University of California, Irvine, voiced concerns that this sector of Antarctica might already be in a state of collapse, urging that more studies are essential to determine the glacier’s future and whether its retreat is irreversible.
