The extensive “doomsday glacier,” which is renowned for its rapid destabilization, is currently experiencing a “vigorous ice flow” that scientists believe has the potential to alter sea level rise projections.
InThe Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is now more susceptible to melting than previously believed, as glaciologists from the University of California, Irvine, discovered in a recent study that warm, high-pressure ocean water is flowing beneath it. The glacier is the broadest on Earth, measuring approximately 80 miles in width. According to the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, the glacier is so densely packed with ice that its complete disintegration could result in a rise in global sea levels of over two feet. Consequently, it is referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier.”
The data scientists collected from March to June of last year was the basis for the findings, which were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Eric Rignot, a professor at UC Irvine and the main author of the study, stated that the limited, sporadic data made it challenging to “figure out what was happening.” However, they were able to more accurately monitor the events by utilizing satellites.
Rignot stated, “We observe the seawater flowing in at high tide, receding, and occasionally traveling further beneath the glacier, where it becomes trapped.”
According to Rignot, “the sea water striking the glacier at the base of its ice sheet, which is flowing through conduits and accumulating in cavities, is creating pressure that is elevating the ice sheet.”d.
“There are locations where the water is nearly equal to the pressure of the overlying ice; therefore, a slight increase in pressure is required to elevate the ice,” he stated.
Ocean currents are also driving the migration of milder ocean water to the shores of Antarctica, which is saltier and has a lower freezing point, as global temperatures continue to rise. . The vigorous thaw that researchers have described is the result of the difference in water.
Christine Dow, a co-author of the study, stated that Thwaites is the most unstable location in the Antarctic. She estimated that the equivalent sea level rise would be 60 centimeters, or approximately 23.6 inches. “The concern is that we are underestimating the glacier’s rate of change, which would have catastrophic consequences for coastal communities worldwide.”
Dow stated that the researchers are currently unable to determine the duration of time until the saltwater intrusion is irreversible. However, they are optimistic that the new information will enhance existing models and enable them to make more accurate predictions for “decades rather than centuries.”
“This work will assist individuals in adjusting to the fluctuating ocean levels and will also prioritize the reduction of carbon emissions in order to avert the most severe scenario.”
