Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday’ Glacier is Melting, Signaling Troubling Times Ahead

New surveys have revealed alarming findings about the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “doomsday glacier”, indicating that it is on the brink of collapse. The glacier, which is approximately the size of Gujarat, is at risk of catastrophic consequences that could lead to a significant rise in global sea levels.

Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey have published their findings in the journal Nature, showing that warm water is infiltrating the glacier’s cracks and crevices more than half a kilometre below its surface. This process is creating new canyons at a rate of 43 meters per year, weakening the glacier rapidly and making it more susceptible to fracture.

The collapse of the Thwaites Glacier could result in a sea level rise of about 65 cm within the next 100 years. Additionally, the glacier acts as a natural dam to vast lakes of ice behind it, and if it collapses, these ice lakes could slip down continental Antarctica’s slopes into the sea, causing an additional 3-meter rise in sea levels.

Countries like Bangladesh, the Maldives, the Netherlands, and parts of the United States, such as Florida and Louisiana, would be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of a 3-meter rise in sea levels. However, the effects would be felt globally, emphasizing the urgent need for global action to combat climate change and prevent catastrophic consequences like those that may result from the collapse of the Thwaites Glacier.

Scientists warn that the glacier is “really holding on today by its fingernails,” and significant changes are expected to occur over small timescales in the future. The uncertainty surrounding when the glacier will collapse underscores the critical importance of addressing climate change to avoid potential disasters.