"That rate of 200 megatonnes per year could then increase quite quickly, and that instability could lead to collapse. That would be catastrophic for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people in coastal cities around the world."
"The Doomsday Glacier is a slow-moving river of ice about the size of the UK that contains enough fresh water to raise sea levels by a whopping 65 centimetres."
"The Thwaites Glacier is one of the most important bodies of ice in the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet. It acts like a river, draining ice and snow from a huge area of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet out into the Amundsen Sea."
Thwaites Glacier, known as the Doomsday Glacier, is melting faster than previously predicted according to University of Edinburgh research. Scientists project the glacier could shed 200 gigatonnes of ice yearly by 2067, exceeding current Antarctic Ice Sheet losses of 150 gigatonnes annually. This accelerating ice loss would contribute 0.5mm to sea level rise per year, surpassing all mountain glaciers combined. The glacier, roughly the size of the UK, contains enough fresh water to raise global sea levels by 65 centimetres. While total collapse isn't imminent, researchers warn the glacier is accelerating toward disaster, with potential consequences for hundreds of millions to billions of people in coastal cities. Thwaites acts as a critical drainage system for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, making its stability essential for the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet's integrity.
Read at Mail Online
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