Scientists have released fresh information about Antarctica’s “Doomsday Glacier”: the Thwaites Glacier has been losing ice since the 1940s. The understanding of glacier melting is critical because it has the potential to cause catastrophic sea level rise.
The results were reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers using marine sediment cores discovered evidence that a large retreat began in the 1940s, most likely triggered by a severe El Nino event.
Julia Wellner, an associate professor of geology at the University of Houston, allegedly emphasized the discovery’s larger ramifications. She emphasized that the retreat of the Thwaites Glacier is consistent with patterns seen in the ice formations of the neighboring Pine Island Glacier.
“If both Doomsday glaciers are retreating at the same time, that’s further evidence that they’re actually being forced by something,” Wellner added.
Marine Geologist and Glaciologist highlight enduring ice retreat and climate change impacts
James Smith, a marine geologist at the British Antarctic Survey, has warned that once started, ice sheet retreats can last for decades. Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, emphasized the cumulative effect of natural disasters and human-caused climate change.
He observed that, while natural events may cause initial destabilization, continued warming exacerbates and continues the process.
Martin Truffer, a physics professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, shared worries about the vulnerability of glacier systems in the face of gradual climate change. “Humans are changing the climate and this study shows that small continuous changes in climate can lead to step changes in Doomsday glacier state,” he went on to say.
This study serves as a sobering reminder that once the ice retreat begins, mitigation actions may be ineffective. As the globe watches the steady march of climate change, the fate of Antarctica’s Doomsday glaciers hangs in the balance.
The results were reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.