Context
A recent study estimates that Thwaites Glacier could raise global sea levels by up to 3 cm by 2100, twice earlier estimates, due to accelerated ice loss.
About Thwaites Glacier
- Location: West Antarctica, bordering the Amundsen Sea.
- Size: Covers about 192,000 sq. km and is a fast-flowing glacier.
- Distinctive Feature: Has an approximately 120-km-wide ice front and a floating ice shelf partly supported by underwater plateaus.
- Significance: Known as the “Doomsday Glacier” due to its potential to accelerate global sea-level rise and destabilise the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).
Factors Behind Its Melting
- Ocean Warming: Warm seawater causes sub-shelf melting of the glacier from below.
- Grounding Zone Melting: Deep seawater penetrates the grounding zone—the boundary where grounded ice begins to float—accelerating ice loss and basal retreat.
- Ice-Sheet Instability: Thinning and inland retreat trigger Marine Ice Sheet Instability (MISI), significantly increasing the risk of irreversible glacier destabilisation.
Impacts of Melting
- Sea-Level Rise: Currently contributes about 4% of annual global sea-level rise. Complete collapse could raise global sea levels by approximately 65 cm.
- Neighbouring Glaciers: Acts as a vital natural plug; its retreat destabilises adjacent ice masses across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), accelerating further ice loss.
- Coastal Vulnerability: Exacerbates global coastal erosion, tidal flooding, and severe storm-surge damage, directly threatening low-lying islands, megacities, and port infrastructure.
FAQs
Q1. Where is Thwaites Glacier located?
Ans. It lies in West Antarctica, bordering the Amundsen Sea, and forms part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Q2. Why is it called the Doomsday Glacier?
Ans. Its potential retreat could contribute significantly to sea-level rise and destabilise neighbouring glaciers.
Q3. What is a grounding zone?
Ans. It is the transition region where grounded glacier ice begins to float.
