Thwaites Glacier (Wikipedia)
The Doomsday Glacier, a nickname given to the Thwaites Glacier, may soon live up to its nickname. Scientists from glaciologists from the University of California, Irvine, conducted a new study in which they found that seawater is causing an increase in the glacier’s deterioration, which would have catastrophic effects on the entire world.
The Thwaites Glacier is a large glacier in West Antarctica. It is the widest glacier on Earth, spanning over 192,000 square kilometers (74,000 sq mi), an area larger than Florida. The collapse of the Thwaites Glacier could also have a domino effect on other glaciers in West Antarctica. This is because the Thwaites Glacier is helping to hold back other glaciers in the region. If the Thwaites Glacier were to collapse, it could trigger the collapse of other glaciers, which would lead to an even greater rise in sea levels.
New findings reveal surprising seawater influence deep beneath Thwaites Glacier, a critical factor in rising sea levels. These tidal intrusions, stretching for kilometers under the grounded ice, challenge traditional models that assume a sharp boundary with no melting.
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The scientists said their observations show a “dynamic zone,” 2 to 6 kilometers wide, influenced by tides. Furthermore, seawater can penetrate even further inland during high tides, reaching up to 6 kilometers. This extensive contact between warm seawater and the base of the glacier significantly increases its vulnerability to melting, potentially accelerating ice loss and raising sea level rise projections, they determined.
Scientists are concerned about the Thwaites Glacier because it is melting rapidly and is considered to be one of the most unstable glaciers in Antarctica. The melting of the glacier is contributing to rising sea levels, and a complete collapse could raise sea levels by up to two feet (61 cm) globally.
The Thwaites Glacier is melting from below by warm ocean water. This warm water is able to reach the underside of the glacier because of a large cavity that has formed beneath the glacier. The warm water is melting the ice from below, which is causing the glacier to thin and become more unstable.
Eric Rignot, professor of Earth system science at the University of California at Irvine and a co-author on the study, explained how the problem is getting worse saying, “In the past, we had only sporadic data to look at this. In this new data set, which is daily and over several months, we have solid observations of what is going on.”
He added that they see the seawater coming in at high tide and receding and sometimes going farther up underneath the glacier and getting trapped.
“The sea water is hitting the glacier at the base of its ice sheet and flowing through conduits and collecting in cavities, creating enough pressure to elevate the ice sheet,” Rignot said.”
“There are places where the water is almost at the pressure of the overlying ice, so just a little more pressure is needed to push up the ice,” he said. “The water is then squeezed enough to jack up a column of more than half a mile of ice.”
Doomsday may not be upon us now, nor any time soon. However, it is clear that when – not if – the Thwaites Glacier collapses it could be doomsday, that is unless something is done to prepare for this.
