NUNZIUM

The Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is one of the widest on Earth and is larger than the state of Florida. It has been nicknamed “doomsday glacier” because of its high rise of collapse and threat to global sea level. In the coming years, scientists say, it has the potential to rapidly retreat, amplifying concerns over the extreme sea level rise that would accompany its potential demise. At some point in the last two centuries, the base of the glacier dislodged from the seabed and retreated at a rate of 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometres) per year. In a study published on September 5 in the journal Nature Geoscience it has been reported that new seabed imagery indicates that the glacier previously retreated at double its current rate, implying that mass loss could accelerate in the near future. The Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is one of the widest on Earth and is larger than the state of Florida. But it's just a faction of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which holds enough ice to raise sea level by up to 16 feet, according to NASA. As the climate crisis has accelerated, this region has been closely monitored because of its rapid melting and its capacity for widespread coastal destruction. In 2021, a study showed the Thwaites Ice Shelf, which helps to stabilize the glacier and hold the ice back from flowing freely into the ocean could shatter within five years. The nature is warning us: climate change is happening and the time to find solutions is running out.