After years of research, scientists studying the massive Thwaites Glacier have found little reason for optimism.
Just a tiny chunk of the Thwaites Glacier, which holds enough ice to raise sea levels by two feet, if it collapses.Antarctica’s so-called Doomsday Glacier could be entirely gone in less than two centuries. That’s one of the frightening conclusions reached by a team of U.S. and British scientists, who have spent the past six years studying the massive ice mass.
Since 2018, the glacier has been the object of study of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. Earlier this week, the researchers presented their observations at a meeting of the British Antarctic Survey. The glacier was first discovered in 1940 and has been steadily getting smaller ever since, a trend the team reported will only speed up.
Previous ITGC research revealed that, while Thwaites is melting slower than some models had predicted, some of that degradation is occurring in cracks at weak points within the ice structure, further raising the risk of collapse.While this is certainly alarming, the ITGC scientists said reducing global emissions would have a positive effect.
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