We’ve underestimated the ‘Doomsday’ glacier - and the consequences could be devastating

Katie Hawkinson
·2 min read
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We’ve underestimated the ‘Doomsday’ glacier - and the consequences could be devastating

A vast Antarcticglacier is more vulnerable to melting than previously thought, according to new research, with potentially devastating consequences for billions of people.

The Thwaites Glacier — dubbed the “Doomsday” glacier because of the grave impacts for global sea level rise if it melts — is breaking down “much faster” than expected, according to a peer-reviewed study published Monday in the academic journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Using satellite imagery, scientists determined that widespread contact between the glacier and warm ocean water is speeding up the melting process. The climate crisis is interrupting natural processes across large parts of the continent, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.

The glacier, roughly the size of the United Kingdom, could cause global sea levels to rise more than 2 feet if it melts completely, according to the study.

“Thwaites is the most unstable place in the Antarctic and contains the equivalent of 60 centimeters of sea level rise,” study co-author Christine Dow said in a statement.

The Thwaites Glacier, pictured, is melting at a faster rate than previously estimated, according to a new peer-reviewed study (James Yungel/NASA IceBridge)
The Thwaites Glacier, pictured, is melting at a faster rate than previously estimated, according to a new peer-reviewed study (James Yungel/NASA IceBridge)

“The worry is that we are underestimating the speed that the glacier is changing, which would be devastating for coastal communities around the world,” she continued.

Record rising sea levels have already had severe consequences for coastal and island communities. In February, 1,200 residents of the island, Gardi Sugdub, began to relocate to mainland Panama as the rising Caribbean Sea overtake their home, according to the BBC.

As a result, the indigenous Guna people have become some of the first climate refugees in the Americas.

The residents of Gardi Sugdub, pictured, are evacuating to mainland Panama as rising sea levels overtake the island (Google Earth)
The residents of Gardi Sugdub, pictured, are evacuating to mainland Panama as rising sea levels overtake the island (Google Earth)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last year that more than 900million people face extreme danger from rising sea levels — a projection made even before this week’s discovery about the rapidly-melting glacier.

Mr Guterres said cities across the globe including Mumbai, Shanghai, London, New York, and Buenoes Aires will face “serious impacts”

“The consequences of all of this are unthinkable,” he said. “Low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear forever. We would witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale. And we would see ever-fiercer competition for fresh water, land and other resources.”