![]() We don't know for sure how Thwaites' disintegration would change sea levels in the short term. ![]() Ted Scambos, glaciologist, University of Colorado, Boulder It's a moniker glaciologists and scientists shy away from using - so why is it so pervasive in the mainstream press? Should we keep using it? And why does it matter? And with every new study we see Thwaites back in the news cycle, largely thanks to its powerful and alarming nickname: the "Doomsday Glacier."īut that nickname, though it has generated mountains of press exploring the fate of Thwaites, might actually do more harm than good. With every new study, we learn more about Thwaites' vulnerability. That kind of melting would be catastrophic. Its demise could also destabilize the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which locks away around 10 feet of sea level rise. If Thwaites melts, sea levels would rise about 25 inches. This week, researchers mapped the ocean floor in front of Thwaites, showing the glacier had rapidly retreated in the past - and suggesting a small kick might accelerate its retreat once more. In 2019, NASA scientists discovered a huge cavity beneath the glacier, about two-thirds the size of Manhattan, which could speed up the glacier's demise. The glacier extends out into the Southern Ocean and is losing about 50 billion tons of ice per year, with that loss doubling over the last 30 years. Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, the widest on Earth, is in trouble.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |