The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier”, is under threat due to warm ocean water rushing beneath its surface. This alarming development could potentially accelerate the glacier’s melting process, leading to a significant rise in global sea levels.
The Thwaites Glacier, approximately the size of Florida, has been rapidly melting since the 1980s. If it were to completely melt, it could single-handedly cause global sea levels to rise by more than two feet. Furthermore, the glacier acts as a natural dam, preventing the surrounding ice of West Antarctica from sliding into the ocean. If the glacier were to collapse completely, sea levels could rise by up to 10 feet.
New research indicates that warm, high-pressure ocean water is seeping beneath the glacier, making it more vulnerable to melting than previously thought. As the high tides come in and lift Thwaites by a few centimeters, an influx of warm ocean water is forcing its way beneath the glacier, exposing vast amounts of ice that was once thought untouchable to warming. The speed of the intruding seawater is also a concern, traveling almost four miles in a 12-hour cycle.
Read more: futurism.com