Towering ice cliffs, mighty crevasses, and an almost infinite force of nature. The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is the largest glacier in the world and is the size of the US state of Florida. However, it is melting at record speed. As its collapse could have devastating consequences for life on Earth, scientists gave it the name “Doomsday Glacier”, which can be translated as “Glacier at the end of the world”.
Researchers knew that the glacier was melting more and more rapidly since the 1970s. Since 2000, it has shrunk by more than a third, revealing the acceleration of its disappearance. But as the satellite data is recent, it is not possible to know when the phenomenon began. Scientists from the American University of Houston are now certain: the glacier began to retreat in the 1940s.
“El Niño” strengthened the melting
The researchers analyzed the changing shapes of the bumps on the ice surface. These “bumps” mark the places where the ice is anchored. By observing how these asperities have changed over time, we obtain information about the evolution of the glacier.
According to analyses, the “El Niño” climatic phenomenon reinforced the melting. At this time, atmospheric and sea currents change, which significantly changes the weather. The phenomenon can lead to heavy precipitation and an increase in water temperature.
Difficult to put an end to the phenomenon
A brief look at the past is revealing: Results published Monday in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ reveal an alarming glimpse into the future. They show that: once dynamics start, it is very difficult to stop them.
Julia Wellner, co-author of the study, told CNN: “What’s happening to Thwaites is not specific to one glacier, but part of the bigger context of a changing climate.” Studies carried out on the neighboring Pine Island glacier paint the same picture. “If both glaciers are retreating at the same time, that’s further evidence that they’re actually being forced by something.”
This large glacier plays an important role in the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet, as it acts as a plug that holds back the immense ice surface behind it. If the Thwaites Glacier collapses, the ice sheet will be destabilized – which stores so much water that it could raise sea levels by three meters.
