This ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Could Bury Coastlines Worldwide
(BrightPress.org) – For decades, scientists have studied Antarctica to learn more about the impact of global climate change. Researchers recently revealed something shocking about a glacier in the region.
The Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is one of the largest on Earth. It measures approximately 80 miles in width. Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) say that as the planet gets warmer, the sea around the North and South Poles is rising in temperature too. If the gigantic ice shelf breaks away, and there’s a possibility it could, it’s likely to raise the ocean by 10 feet, according to the researchers.
The loss of a glacier the size of Florida in Antarctica could wreak havoc on the world as scientists expect it would raise global sea levels up to 10 feet. https://t.co/EhP7Ull7gE
— KTVN 2 News (@KTVN) September 7, 2022
The investigators found the massive ice formation is retreating along the ocean’s floor. Over the last five and half months, it has moved twice the distance it did from 1996 to 2009 and three times faster than it did between 2011 and 2017.
USF released the report, and in it, British Antarctic Survey Marine Geophysicist Robert Larter said the glacier was holding on by its fingernails and stated scientists could see significant changes in the coming years.
Researchers say warm water is flowing underneath the huge ice shelf and is the primary reason it’s melting. They first made the discovery in 2020 after finding a cavity the size of Manhattan under the glacier the year before. Scientists say within five years, the warmer water temperatures could cause it to completely collapse.
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