An Antarctic glacier the size of Florida is on the verge of collapse, scientists with the American Geophysical Union warned Monday, a nightmare scenario made worse by climate change that could eventually result in several feet of global sea level rise.
An Antarctic glacier the size of Florida is on the verge of collapse, scientists with the American Geophysical Union warned Monday, a nightmare scenario made worse by climate change that could eventually result in several feet ofThe findings were based on new satellite imagery of the Thwaites Glacier, which has been nicknamed the “doomsday glacier,” showing a proliferation of cracks across its...
Scientists have been monitoring the glacier, the current melting of which contributes to roughly four percent of annual sea-level rise, for years. Its eastern portion abuts an underwater mountain, and was thought to be more stable, but new satellite images revealed that fractures have developed that are allowing warming ocean waters to speed its disintegration.
“As it’s structured right now, this ice shelf acts like a dam. But it’s not going to for very long,” Pettit said.The chain reaction following the collapse of the eastern section of the glacier could threaten coastal residents around the world, many of whom may be unprepared for a sudden spike in sea level, which has risen slowly due to climate change since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.
While it could take centuries for the full impact of a total collapse of the Thwaites Glacier to play out, the latest data from Antarctica is not giving scientists any reason for optimism.
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