The Antarctic Thwaites Glacier is called the "Doomsday Glacier" due to its influence on sea level rise to
Researchers drilled a well 587 m deepthrough the floating part of Thwaites, approximately 2 km from where it touches the seabed (glacier grounding line). The scientists then mounted a special device 1.5 meters below the bottom surface of the ice to measure temperature, salt concentration, water flow and melting rates.
It turned out that over a nine-month periodobservations, the rate of ice melt on this relatively horizontal section of the glacier was lower than predicted by computer models. It ranged from 2 to 5 m of ice loss per year. The reason for this slow melting rate is that the underside of Thwaites was covered by a layer of fresh meltwater.
Cornell University Scientists and AuthorsThe second study used a hole in the glacier to launch a cylindrical robot, Icedin, to explore its hard-to-reach area. They discovered that the bottom of Thwaites is not as smooth as previously thought. It is distinguished by a stepped structure in the form of a series of “terraces” with vertical walls up to 6 m high. Researchers also discovered numerous cracks in which the ice melted quite quickly - up to 30 m per year.
The IceFin robotic submersible photographed near McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Image courtesy of Rob Robbins, USAP
Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Judgment Glacierday", is located above the bowl-shaped depression of the rock, which rises up to the sea. As a result, most of the ice is below sea level. If it retreats too far, it will quickly collapse, directly contributing to a sea level rise of 0.5 meters.
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Cover photo: NASA Observatory
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