Thwaites' 45-Km Ice Shelf Splinters as Warm Water Threatens 16-Foot Sea-Level Rise
Updated
Updated · Futurism · May 23
Thwaites' 45-Km Ice Shelf Splinters as Warm Water Threatens 16-Foot Sea-Level Rise
6 articles · Updated · Futurism · May 23
Satellite imagery shows the 45-kilometer ice shelf in front of Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier is actively breaking apart, with major fissures opening where it remains attached to the glacier.
Warmer, faster-flowing water beneath the glacier appears to be driving that rapid disintegration, based on measurements researchers gathered under Thwaites' main trunk earlier this year.
Scientists warn a full collapse of Thwaites—roughly the size of Britain—could help trigger a domino effect across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
That broader ice sheet holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by about 13 to 16 feet, making Thwaites a critical climate tipping point.
What weaknesses deep beneath the 'doomsday glacier' are accelerating its collapse and a potential 13-foot sea level rise?
As Antarctica's 'doomsday glacier' disintegrates, are our climate models underestimating the true speed of the coming sea-level rise?
The Thwaites Glacier Crisis: Eastern Ice Shelf Collapse and the Global Threat of 190 Gigatonnes Annual Ice Loss
Overview
Thwaites Glacier's eastern ice shelf is undergoing dramatic changes, which signals accelerating ice loss from Antarctica. This shelf has long acted as a natural buttress, slowing the glacier’s movement and reducing its melt by exerting crucial back-pressure. Now, its instability threatens the entire glacier system, with projections showing a significant acceleration in Thwaites Glacier’s melt rate in the coming decades. The integrity of the eastern ice shelf is therefore vital, as its weakening has profound implications for the glacier’s stability and the broader risks of rising sea levels worldwide.