Antarcticas

Antarctica’s Hidden Under-Ice Rivers Could Play a Significant Role in Sea-Level Rise

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Underneath Antarctica’s vast ice sheets there’s a network of rivers and lakes. This is possible because of the insulating blanket of ice above, the flow of heat from within the Earth, and the small amount of heat generated as the ice deforms.   Water lubricates the base of the ice sheets, allowing the ice to … Read more

What Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday’ Glacier Could Mean For The World

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The massive Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 65cm if it were to completely collapse. And, worryingly, recent research suggests that its long-term stability is doubtful as the glacier hemorrhages more and more ice.   Adding 65cm to global sea levels would be coastline-changing amounts. For context, … Read more

Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ could meet its doom within 3 years

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Time is melting away for one of Antarctica‘s biggest glaciers, and its rapid deterioration could end with the ice shelf’s complete collapse in just a few years, researchers warned at a virtual press briefing on Monday (Dec. 13) at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).  Thwaites glacier in western Antarctica is the … Read more

Ice Shelf at Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Won’t Last 5 Years, Scientists Warn

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A crucial ice shelf on Antarctica‘s Thwaites Glacier is on track to collapse within five years, accelerating the melting of the notorious ‘doomsday glacier’. Thwaites, which is the size of Florida, is already melting quickly, losing about 50 billion tons of ice per year. The glacier earned its grim nickname because its total collapse would raise global sea … Read more