'Doomsday Glacier' in Antarctica is melting 'much faster' than previously ... trends now
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Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier,' nicknamed for its ability to increase sea levels by nearly two feet, is breaking apart 'much faster' than previously believed.
Formally known as the Thwaites Glacier, researchers at the University of California (UC) discovered that warm seawater flows miles beneath - causing 'vigorous melting.'
The team used satellites and radar technology to track changes in surface elevation, finding the water had lifted parts of the glacier by around seven miles.
The findings could require a reassessment of global sea level rise projections, as researchers have predicted Thwaites could retreat up to two miles each year under the intrusion of warm seawater.
Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier,' nicknamed for its ability to increase sea levels by nearly two feet, is breaking apart 'much faster' than previously believed
Co-author Christine Dow, professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, said in a statement: 'Thwaites is the most unstable place in the Antarctic and contains the equivalent of 60 centimeters [1.9 feet] of sea level rise.
'The worry is that we are underestimating the speed that the glacier is changing, which would be devastating for coastal communities around the world.'
The team used data gathered from March to June 2023 by Finland's ICEYE commercial satellite mission, which showed the rise, fall and bending of Thwaites Glacier.
Lead author Eric Rignot, professor of
