Posted on 09/09/2022 11:20:14 AM PDT by dennisw
Thwaites Glacier — otherwise known as the “Doomsday glacier,” due to the fact it could raise the sea level by several feet — is allegedly hanging on “by its fingernails.”
Scientists discovered that the glacier’s underwater base has been eroding due to the increase in the Earth’s temperature, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience.
“Thwaites is really holding on today by its fingernails,” said Robert Larter, a marine geophysicist who co-authored the study.
“And we should expect to see big changes over small timescales in the future — even from one year to the next — once the glacier retreats beyond a shallow ridge in its bed.”
West Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier is roughly the size of Florida and could potentially raise the sea level by nearly 16 feet should it fall into the ocean, which scientists predicted could happen within the next three years.
Researchers have monitored the glacier’s recession since “as recently as the mid-20th century,” according to lead author Alastair Graham, and have recorded a disintegration rate of nearly double since the last decade.
Earlier this year, an international group of scientists attempted to study the glacier in an effort to help stop the erosion, however, the group was thwarted by a chunk of ice from the doomed glacier.
Graham stated that it “was truly a once-in-a-lifetime mission” and he hopes that the team will be able to return to the glacier soon — since scientists believed the erosion was working at a slower pace before the study was published.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
“Underwater base” indicates that this ice on water, floating as it were. If/when it breaks off it will not raise ocean levels at all. Ice does not displace water on net.
Just read your link. You are right. Entire Thwaites glacier goes..... Then a 2 ft rise in the oceans.
Pure distilled horse hsit.
Well geez
Everyone knows that when the ice in your drink melts, your cup starts spontaneously gushing over. Thats why you must quickly drink it and not just let it sit.
For the necessary groups, /sarc
Will some nation please nuke the glacier and get this over with?
And they really think driving EV’s will change mattes significantly?
= = =
Get the option that puts floats on your EV.
The real answer is the oceans would rise about 25 inches if the glacier is now 100% on dry land, and the size estimates are accurate. Glacier Volume/Ocean Surface Area.
(74,00 sq mi * 4000 ft)/139,000,000 sq mi = 25.5 inches
The volume of the glacier is massive; 47 times the volume of Lake Michigan. The world’s most powerful pumps, those protecting New Orleans can move 150,000 gallons per second. Any guesses as to how long it would take one of these pumps to empty Lake Michigan?
Any guesses as to how long it would take one of these pumps to empty Lake Michigan?
Almost 6600 years!
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