A massive ice sheet, famously known as the ‘Doomsday Glacier’ due to its potential catastrophic consequences for human civilization, is teetering on the brink of collapse.
Recent years have seen cracks appearing in the ice shelf of Thwaite’s Glacier in Antarctica, leading to what scientists describe as an ‘accelerated destabilization.’ A new study now reveals that hidden storm-like formations beneath the surface may be hastening the glacier’s deterioration.
Researchers have observed rapid swirling vortexes forming in the water beneath the glacier, drawing in warm sea currents that melt the overlying ice sheet, causing fractures. This melting process exacerbates turbulence, creating a destructive cycle that further harms the glacier.
Published in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists highlight how underwater storms are contributing to changes in Thwaite’s Glacier, which has shed more than 600 billion tonnes of ice since the 1980s.
Lead author Mattia Poinelli, a glaciologist at the University of California, Irvine, warns that this phenomenon could spread across Antarctica as ocean temperatures rise globally. Poinelli stated to climate organization Grist that with the increasing presence of warm water and melting, similar effects are likely to emerge in different Antarctic regions.
Describing the vortices as resembling storms with strong energy and turbulent motions near the surface, Poinelli emphasized the concerning nature of these phenomena.
Thwaites Glacier, situated in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, spans approximately 75 miles in width, covering around 74,000 square miles, comparable in size to mainland Britain or the US state of Florida. Given its potential impact on global sea levels, the glacier has earned the moniker “the Doomsday Glacier” among climate experts.
The collapse and melting of Thwaites Glacier could lead to a rise in sea levels by one to two meters (three to six feet), imperiling major cities like London, New York, Amsterdam, Bangkok, and Mumbai, which are home to millions of people. Additionally, low-lying islands such as the Maldives, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Polynesia, and Micronesia face the risk of disappearing entirely.
Scientists have raised concerns about the glacier’s weakening ice shelf potentially collapsing within the next decade, with satellite data revealing an escalating rate of fractures in the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf since the early 2000s.
In a proposed solution, glaciologist John Moore of Lapland University suggested deploying a physical barrier on the seafloor to mitigate the impact of warm ocean water on the glacier. However, this proposal was met with criticism from over 40 researchers who advocate for focusing efforts on reducing carbon emissions and curbing global warming instead.