The massive ‘Doomsday’ Glacier may collapse within the next 200 years — leading to a global catastrophe as sea levels rise sharply. New research published this week suggests tidal action on the underside of Thwaites in the Antarctic will “inexorably” accelerate melting this century. Loss of the massive glacier as well as the West Antarctic ice sheet is currently holds back could prompt water levels to rise by 3.3 meters — enough to submerge several island nations and key cities.
New research using ice-breaking ships and underwater robots discovered that the glacier is set to shrink rapidly this century and may collapse within the next 200 years. The massive ice floe has been retreating for more than 80 years with a marked acceleration over the past three decades.
“There is a consensus that Thwaites Glacier retreat will accelerate sometime within the next century. However, there is also concern that additional processes revealed by recent studies… could cause retreat to accelerate sooner,” a news release quoted Rob Larter – a marine geophysicist who contributed to the research – as saying.
More than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) thick in places, Thwaites has been likened to a cork in a bottle. Were it to collapse, sea levels would rise by 65 centimeters (26 inches). That’s already a significant amount, given oceans are currently rising 4.6 millimeters a year. But if it led to the eventual loss of the entire ice sheet, sea levels would rise 3.3 meters.
(With inputs from agencies)
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