KYIV. UkraineGate . 7. September . 2022 | World News .
The Thwaites Glacier, which is also called the “doomsday glacier”, is undergoing a century-long process of melting in months .
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According to a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, a large glacier located in the western part of Antarctica experienced a phase of “rapid retreat” from the shelf in just six months, a process that usually lasts somewhere around two centuries.
Unlike some other land-locked glaciers, Thwaites lies on the seabed, making it more vulnerable to warming water from human-induced climate change. The Thwaites already accounts for about 4% of annual sea level rise.
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“You can’t take the Thwaites away and leave the rest of Antarctica intact,” said Alistair Graham, a marine geologist at the University of South Florida and co-author of the study.
He described the effects of Thwaites’ melting as threatening the existence of humanity.
According to the UN, more than 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100 km of the coast — areas that would be severely affected by high tides in the event of a disaster.
Satellite images taken late last year showed that the shelf that stabilizes the eastern part of Thwaites Glacier has shown signs of cracking — which scientists say could lead to a “webbing” effect across the wedge, especially in high winds, according to Washington Post.
However, the researchers say that the collapse of the shelf would not contribute to immediate sea level rise, although it could accelerate erosion of the Thwaites Glacier by destroying its ice.
Graham added that his team can’t predict with certainty whether or when the ice structure will melt completely, but reducing planet-warming emissions over the next 75 years will be critical to its survival.
Source: Ukrgate