Glacier the size of Florida puts oceans at risk

The "Last Judgment" glacier, which could raise sea levels, is sustained "by miracle," according to NASA scientists

R. Gelfenstein - Antarctica's so-called "doomsday glacier," known for its high risk of collapse and threat to global sea levels, has the potential to recede rapidly in the coming years, scientists say, amplifying concerns about extreme sea level rise. of the sea that would accompany its potential disappearance.

The Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is one of the largest on the planet and is larger than the state of Florida. But that's only a fraction of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which contains enough ice to raise sea levels up to 15 feet, according to NASA.

Scientists have found that sometime in the past two centuries, the base of the glacier broke off from the seafloor and retreated at a rate of 2.1 kilometers per year. That's double the speed scientists have observed over the past decade.

"Thwaites miraculously holds today, and we should expect to see big changes on small time scales in the future, even from year to year, once the glacier recedes beyond a low ridge, deep into the bed," he said. the statement by Robert Larter, marine geophysicist and one of the co-authors of the British Antarctic Survey.

As the climate crisis accelerates, this region has been closely watched for its rapid melting and its capacity for widespread coastal destruction.

"Doomsday Glacier" about to break off in Antarctica: It could raise sea levels by one to three meters

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Video reveals fractures in Ice Shelf that helps contain flow of colossal Thwaites Glacier: @Antarcticacl pic.twitter.com/ob3JweDOz8

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It is alarming that at some point in the last 200 years, in a span of less than 6 months, the front of the glacier has lost contact with the seabed, these studies will allow us to predict the potential impact of the elevation of the level. Global sea, vital data, since according to the United Nations about 40% of the human population lives less than 100 kilometers from the coast.