Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “Glacier of Doom”, has retreated twice as fast in the last 200 years, scientists have revealed in a new study. “Thwaites is really standing on tiptoes today and we should expect to see big changes on small time frames in the future. This could happen even within a year,” said Robert Larter, a marine geophysicist and study co-author for the glacier in Antarctica, whose seafloor has been mapped in high resolution for the first time.
In a new study, scientists have found that the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, also known as the “Glacier of Doom”, has retreated twice as fast as thought over the past 200 years. Experts warned of disaster, stating that the glacier is standing on tiptoe.
3 METERS RISE IN GLOBAL SEA LEVEL
The glacier in West Antarctica is of significant importance for researchers trying to make predictions about global sea level rise. Because the total loss of Thwaites and the surrounding ice basins could raise global sea levels by up to 3 meters. For this reason, Thwaites is also called the ‘Glacier of Doom’.
MAPPED IN HIGH RESOLUTION FOR THE FIRST TIME
The authors of the study, published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience, mapped the sea floor in front of Thwaites in high resolution for the first time. This helped them understand how fast the glacier retreated and moved in the past.
According to experts at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, the new images show geologic features that are new to science and also provide an understanding of Thwaites’ future.
Researchers found that at some point in the last 200 years, for less than six months, the Doomsday Glacier lost contact with part of the seabed, melting at a rate of more than 1.2.1 km per year.
Scientists pointed out that this figure is double the findings of studies using satellites between 2011 and 2019.
“Our results show that very rapid retreat pulses have occurred on the Thwaites Glacier over the last two centuries and possibly into the mid-20th century,” said Alastair Graham, one of the study’s authors.
“Thwaites is really on his toes today and we should expect to see big changes on small time frames in the future. This could happen even within a year,” said marine geophysicist and study co-author Robert Larter of the British Antarctic Survey.
