'Doomsday Glacier' Could Contribute Twice as Much to Sea-Level Rise by 2100, Scientists Warn
Researchers say a wider grounding zone lets warm seawater melt the glacier from below, raising coastal flooding risk and doubling earlier century-end projections.
- New research published Monday in Nature Communications reports Thwaites Glacier could contribute 1.2 inches to global sea level rise by 2100, doubling previous scientific estimates.
- Lead author Mattia Poinelli, a project scientist at UCLA, found that a wide "grounding zone" allows warm seawater to penetrate deep beneath the ice, replacing the previously assumed fixed grounding line model.
- Tidal pumping flushes seawater beneath the ice, accelerating the "unpinning" of ice from the underwater Mouginot Ridge and causing vigorous melting that threatens stability.
- Acting as a cork for the West Antarctica ice sheet, Thwaites holds enough water to potentially lead to around 10 feet of sea level rise if it collapses.
- Glaciologist Eric Rignot, a professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine, warns the findings "predict greater risk of and exposure for coastal flooding than anticipated in the coming decades." Researchers plan to deploy instruments in 2028 to document these processes.
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The melting of the Thwaites glacier, known as the 'Final Judgment Gel'. NASA/James Yungel The melting of the Thwaites glacier, known as the 'Final Judgment Gel', can have a much greater impact than was imagined in raising the sea level. According to a research published in the scientific journal "Nature Communications" the glacier, located in Western Antarctica, can contribute up to three centimeters to the global average elevation of the sea le…
A colossus of ice as large as Florida, which collapsed, could raise the level of the oceans by abyssing the coastal communities of the entire planet, from Miami to Manila. From far away, in aerial photographs, it appears like a giant white panettone, but the vast majority of its mass is hiding below the sea level, where it is consuming [...] The article "Warning, the glacier of the Apocalypse is melting faster than expected, risks jumping the "t…
The Thwaites Glacier, located in Antarctica and nicknamed "the glider of the end of the world" because of the catastrophe caused by its collapse, melts "faster" than expected, alerts glaciologists. Scientists, who still need to refine their forecasts, warn against a sharp rise of the waters by 2100. - The "glacier of the end of the world" melts "faster" than expected, warn scientists (Environment).
Britain-sized Doomsday Glacier is melting faster than feared
Recent findings show that Thwaites Glacier might be a far bigger player in sea-level rise than previously thought. As warm ocean waters intrude beneath its icy surface, the glacier is melting at an alarming rate. If this trend persists, we could see a catastrophic detachment from the Mouginot Ridge by the year 2100.
A research team from the British Antarctic Survey analyzed the future of the Thwaites Glacier and found that glacier loss will continue for 150 years even if global warming stops. This is caused by the disruption of the glacier's balance due to past environmental impacts. However, curbing global warming remains important as it can slow down the rate of decline.
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