A group of American and British researchers has unveiled concerning results about the massive Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, describing the future of the ice cover as “bleak.” This ice mass, roughly the size of Great Britain, is ominously nicknamed the “Doomsday Glacier” due to the catastrophic impact its collapse could have on the planet.
European news network Euronews reported that if the ice mass melts, the resulting rise in sea levels would affect hundreds of millions of people. However, there was also some positive news this week about sea ice. Early tests of pumping seawater onto snow in the Canadian Arctic have shown that it may be possible to increase the thickness of the core ice.
The team of British and American scientists has been monitoring Thwaites Glacier since 2018 and recently convened a meeting at the British Antarctic Survey to reveal their findings over this period.
The ice sheet, which exceeds 2,000 meters in thickness in some areas, is one of the largest and fastest-changing glaciers in the world. The volume of ice flowing into the sea from Thwaites Glacier and neighboring glaciers has doubled from the 1990s to the early 21st century. The broader region, known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment, accounts for 8% of the current rate of sea-level rise, which stands at 4.6 mm per year.
According to the researchers, if Thwaites Glacier completely collapses, sea levels could rise by as much as 65 cm.
Dr. Rob Larter, a member of the Thwaites International Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), commented, “Thwaites has been retreating for over 80 years, with significant acceleration over the past three decades. Our findings suggest that it will retreat further and faster.”
“There is consensus that the retreat of Thwaites Glacier will accelerate over the next century. However, there is also concern that other processes, recently uncovered by studies and not yet sufficiently examined for inclusion in large-scale models, could cause the decline to accelerate sooner,” he added.
The study results indicate that Thwaites Glacier and a significant portion of the ice cover in West Antarctica could disappear by the 23rd century.
Using advanced technologies such as underwater robots, new survey techniques, and innovative methods for modeling ice flow and fractures, scientists have gained new insights into these processes. Early tests showed that seawater could be used to increase the thickness of sea ice in the Arctic.
A promising project to thicken sea ice in the Canadian Arctic has shown good results in preliminary trials. The British startup Real Ice conducted field trials earlier this year to pump seawater into ice layers.
Researchers at Real Ice aim to strengthen the ice layers relied upon by Arctic wildlife. The British startup is experimenting with drilling through the ice to the ocean and pumping water onto the snow, where the water fills air pockets in the snow and gradually freezes into ice.
Andrea Chiccolini, the co-CEO of Real Ice, stated, “Our goal is to demonstrate that ice thickening can effectively preserve and restore Arctic sea ice.”
The company’s trials, conducted in collaboration with the University of Cambridge’s Climate Repair Centre, resulted in a natural increase of 25 cm on the underside of the ice.
Sean Fitzgerald, director of the Climate Repair Centre, said, “The results obtained in May confirm that it is indeed possible to achieve an additional growth rate for new sea ice on the underside.”
The ice layer in Antarctica is retreating at a faster rate than in recent decades due to climate change, raising fears of a total collapse. Scientists predict that the region will be ice-free in summer by the 2030s.
