Doomsday Glacier may collapse sooner than expected as scientists reveal new findings; Details here

The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," is the top concern for polar scientists due to its potential to raise sea levels by up to 10 feet if it melts.

Two studies, the result of a five-year, $50 million research campaign, were recently published, complicating the understanding of the glacier's behaviour. The melting occurring in the glacier is complicated, and there is a reason for greater concern, according to senior climate and energy reporter Andrew Freedman’s interview with Axios.

The water that's coming into contact with the bottom of the ice sheet is not as warm as expected, but the glacier is still retreating “incredibly fast”, noted Freedman.




Scientists are looking for ways to slow or stop the melting of the glacier, but there are studies that show that we have already triggered an “irreversible loss” of the West Antarctic ice sheet.

Decisions made in the next two decades will determine the course of sea-level rise for the next several centuries, including West Antarctica.

With the media outlet, Andrew also discussed another study that found human-caused global warming must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius or less to avoid multi-century melting of the ice sheets and a rise in sea levels. However, this goal is not realistic as we're already at 1.2 C, and if all global pledges are met, we would go only to 2.4 C.

Despite the alarming news, there is some optimism about the Thwaites Glacier – the data obtained from the studies show there is a reason for concern and alarm, but it also leads to additional questions and additional worries. The true range of the glacier's behaviour remains to be seen, but perhaps the findings could provide scientists with a better understanding of the glacier's behaviour and not be quite as scary.

FAQs

1. What is the width of Thwaites Glacier?
   120 km
2. Which countries claim the Antarctic region?
   United Kingdom, France Argentina, Chile, Norway, Australia and New Zealand