The Doomsday Glacier in Antarctica is melting faster than scientists thought

Scientists have uncovered evidence of “vigorous melting” at Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, as detailed in a new study published on Monday. For the first time, researchers have visible evidence showing warm seawater being pumped underneath the glacier.

The Thwaites Glacier, part of the vast West Antarctic Ice Sheet, is one of the world’s most rapidly changing and unstable glaciers. Dubbed the “Doomsday Glacier” due to its potential to significantly raise sea levels, it has been closely studied as a key indicator of human-induced climate change.

The study’s findings suggest that the Antarctic Ice Sheet is more vulnerable to a warming ocean than previously understood, necessitating a reassessment of sea-level rise projections.

A ‘most unstable place’

“Thwaites is the most unstable place in Antarctica and contains enough ice to contribute 60 centimeters (two feet) to sea-level rise,” said Christine Dow of the University of Waterloo, a co-author of the study. “There is concern that we are underestimating the speed at which the glacier is changing, which could have devastating consequences for coastal communities worldwide.”

Using high-resolution satellite radar data, scientists identified evidence of warm, high-pressure seawater penetrating many miles beneath the grounded ice of Thwaites Glacier.

Eric Rignot, the study’s lead author from the University of California−Irvine, explained to USA TODAY that there is significantly more seawater flowing into the glacier than previously believed. These “intrusions make the glacier more sensitive to ocean warming and more likely to disintegrate as the ocean warms.”

Future projections of global sea-level rise will need to incorporate this new data, Rignot said. “The projections will increase,” he stated.

Rising seas, swamped cities

Thwaites Glacier’s melt could raise ocean levels by as much as 2 feet, according to researchers. Furthermore, the glacier acts as a natural barrier to other ice in West Antarctica. If this ice is released into the oceans, sea levels could rise by 10 feet, researchers estimate.

Such an increase would inundate many of the world’s coastal cities. The study indicates that this would “gravely impact populations in many low-lying areas like Vancouver, Florida, Bangladesh, and low-lying Pacific islands such as Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.”