Alarming study reveals rapid deterioration of Doomsday Glacier

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlights the uncertain future of the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Doomsday Glacier. Scientists have long focused on it because its loss could lead to a sea level rise of over 2 feet. Researchers have now determined that the glacier is much more susceptible to the effects of warm ocean water than previously thought.

A team led by glaciologists from the University of California, Irvine, used satellite radar data to examine the impact of warm ocean water infiltrating beneath the massive ice sheet of the Thwaites Glacier. Interestingly, the experts utilized imagery collected from March to June 2023 by the Polish-Finnish company ICEYE. The study's lead author, Prof. Eric Rignot from the University of California, Irvine, emphasized in a press release: "These ICEYE data provided a long-term series of daily observations closely aligned with tidal cycles."

"In the past, we had sporadic data available, and it was challenging to understand what was happening based on just a few observations. With a continuous time series, compared with the tidal cycle, we see that seawater flows in during high tide and recedes, sometimes moving further under the glacier and becoming trapped. Thanks to ICEYE, we are witnessing the dynamics of tides for the first time," Rignot said.

Scientists have determined that more warm ocean water is infiltrating beneath the Thwaites Glacier. It reaches as much as 4 miles deep under its surface, which concerns experts. The glacier must contend not only with rising air temperatures and melting ice cover but also with warm water getting under it in West Antarctica. This could significantly raise sea levels. According to experts, this new factor is increasing the Thwaites Glacier's instability.

"Thwaites is the most unstable place in Antarctica, where sea levels rise by 2 feet. We are worried that we are underestimating the rate of glacial changes, which would be catastrophic for coastal communities worldwide," emphasized Prof. Christine Dow from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, who also participated in the research.

Experts believe that we still underestimate the rate of changes occurring with the glacier. They stress, however, that more research is needed to fully understand the impact of warm ocean water on the condition of the Thwaites Glacier. This widest glacier in the world, with a diameter of nearly 80 miles, loses nearly 55 billion tons of ice each year and accounts for 4% of sea level rise. It is estimated that its total melting could lead to a global sea level rise of up to 2 feet. This would have catastrophic consequences for many areas, which is why Thwaites is called the Doomsday Glacier.