Two new studies provide tantalizing clues about what is causing the Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica’s largest, to rapidly retreat, Andrew writes.
Why it matters: Thwaites tops the list of glaciers that keep polar scientists up at night (its nickname is the “Doomsday Glacier”). If it were to disintegrate into the ocean, the ice it holds back could raise global sea levels up to 10 feet.
Zoom in: Scientists focused on investigating the glacier’s grounding zone, which is where the ice meets the sea and becomes a floating ice shelf.
- Thwaites is unique: As one travels inland from the grounding line, the ice rests on bedrock that dips below sea level.
- This makes this region especially susceptible to extensive and potentially rapid melting.
What they found: One of the studies, published in Nature, found that water that is well above freezing is located near the grounding zone, but the warmest water is not reaching the base of the ice.
- Nonetheless, the glacier is receding quickly here, suggesting Thwaites is especially sensitive to even modest amounts of warming.
- “This means we should be worried, very worried for the other places where the melt [rates are] high and the retreat is high. The system is very sensitive to the ocean, more than we thought,” study co-author Eric Rignot of UC Irvine told Axios via email.