Warm waters have begun to weaken parts of the Thwaites Glacier, dubbed the ‘Glacier of the Apocalypse’, worsening its melting accelerated by rising temperatures, according to two studies published Wednesday in the Nature Journal.
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Thwaites, which is the size of Florida, could raise sea levels by almost a meter. Its melting would destabilize other nearby glaciers, which has the potential to add another three meters to sea level.
New tools have allowed researchers to explore areas of the glacier that were previously unreachable.
While the flat surfaces beneath the glacier are holding up well to warming waters, deep cracks and “staircase” formations beneath the ice behemoth are melting much faster than expected, the researchers note. These crevasses cut through the pack ice and threaten the structure of the glacier.
Melting along fissures “could become the primary trigger for sea ice collapse,” the study authors write.
Thwaites has lost 14 km in area since 1990. It contributes 4% of annual sea level rise.
In 2021, a study showed that the sea ice could fracture in the next five years. Last year, scientists said global warming was forcing glacier walls to cling “by the nails”. Its melting could accelerate in the years to come.
According to information from CNN