What Is 'Doomsday Glacier' And Why Does It Matter?
Image: @zxcv1991123
27 May 2024
The Thwaites Glacier also called the 'Doomsday Glacier' has garnered a lot of attention in recent years due to the threat it poses to rising global sea levels
Image: @zxcv1991123
Located in the remote Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica, the glacier is the world's widest and roughly the size of Florida
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Recent findings suggest the Thwaites glacier is melting at a faster rate than previously believed, primarily due to human-induced climate changes
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The glacier is undergoing a "vigorous ice melt", that scientists say could reshape sea level rise projections
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In a new study, scientists found that warm, high-pressure ocean water is seeping beneath the glacier, making it more vulnerable to melting than previously thought
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Thwaites already single-handedly contributes to four percent of the world's total sea level rise
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If the entire Thwaites glacier were to melt, it could cause global sea levels to rise by more than two feet
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If that ice is released into the oceans, levels could rise 10 feet, researchers estimate. Such a rise would put many of the world's coastal cities underwater
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The study said it "will gravely impact populations in many low-lying areas like Vancouver, Florida, Bangladesh and low-lying Pacific islands, such as Tuvalu Marshall Islands"
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The study used high-resolution satellite radar data to conduct an X-ray-like examination of the glacier