Warm Water Eating Holes in 'Doomsday' Glacier's Foundations
- 3 years ago
THWAITES GLACIER, WEST ANTARCTICA — Scientists found that warm water is eating away the pillars under Antarctica's so-called "Doomsday Glacier" at an alarming rate. This could cause the massive glacier to collapse into the ocean.
Science Magazine reports that Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier" is melting faster than expected and could raise global sea levels by up to 65 centimeters.
With a surface area the size of Britain, and a depth of up to 4 kilometers, Thwaites glacier is called "Doomsday Glacier" because of its projected impact on the rise of sea levels.
Data was collected by the uncrewed submarine "Ran" that made its way under the glacier.
The drone submarine found that currents of warm water are finding their way deep into the ocean under the ice shelf.
The fact that so much warm water is finding its way to the base of the glacier, is alarming glaciologists.
That's because the warm water is melting away the pillars at the landward side on which the glacier is anchored.
The fear is that, if the ice pillars collapse, large areas of ice would break off into the ocean, causing the ice to melt faster and causing more ice to flow into the ocean from the land-based part of the glacier.
Science Magazine reports that Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier" is melting faster than expected and could raise global sea levels by up to 65 centimeters.
With a surface area the size of Britain, and a depth of up to 4 kilometers, Thwaites glacier is called "Doomsday Glacier" because of its projected impact on the rise of sea levels.
Data was collected by the uncrewed submarine "Ran" that made its way under the glacier.
The drone submarine found that currents of warm water are finding their way deep into the ocean under the ice shelf.
The fact that so much warm water is finding its way to the base of the glacier, is alarming glaciologists.
That's because the warm water is melting away the pillars at the landward side on which the glacier is anchored.
The fear is that, if the ice pillars collapse, large areas of ice would break off into the ocean, causing the ice to melt faster and causing more ice to flow into the ocean from the land-based part of the glacier.