Ship of Scientists Headed to Doomsday Glacier
Futurism • • science
Key Points:
- A team of nearly 40 scientists has embarked from New Zealand to study Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, known as the "Doomsday Glacier," which poses a significant threat to global sea levels if it melts completely.
- Thwaites Glacier, roughly the size of Florida, contains enough ice to raise sea levels by over two feet, and its rapid melting could potentially trigger the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, raising sea levels by up to 15 feet over centuries.
- Recent findings reveal that warm seawater is reaching the glacier's base due to rising tides lifting it from the seafloor, accelerating melting in areas previously thought to be protected.
- Scientists plan to conduct various experiments, including using airborne radar to