A glacier the size of Florida is on track to change the course of human civilization.

“Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica is enormous and is often referred to as the most dangerous glacier on Earth. It has also been dubbed the Doomsday glacier. The glacier holds two feet of sea level but, more importantly, it is the “backstop” for four other glaciers which holds an additional 10-13 feet of sea level rise. When Thwaites collapses it will take most of West Antarctica with it.”

A glacier the size of Florida is on track to change the course of human civilization.

 

Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica is enormous and is often referred to as the most dangerous glacier on Earth. It has also been dubbed the Doomsday glacier. The glacier holds two feet of sea level but, more importantly, it is the “backstop” for four other glaciers which holds an additional 10-13 feet of sea level rise. When Thwaites collapses it will take most of West Antarctica with it. This is not new information for those of us that follow the science. For example, Eric Rignot in 2014, stated that the loss of West Antarctica is unstoppable. (You can listen to an excellent interview from 2019 between Rignot and Radio Eco-shock on Antarctica).

Bert Wouters:

These might be the oldest (1947!) pictures around of Thwaites Glacier, one of Antarctica’s fastest flowing and most rapidly thinning glaciers. US Navy mapped the area in during Operation Highjump, a mission including 4,700 men, 13 ships, and 33 aircraft (https://bit.ly/2UHU4g9 ).

Thwaites’ calving edge:  sailing through what was solid ice sheet just a few years ago, my elation matched only by my grief. @glacierthwaites

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According to researchers at the University of Washington back in 2014, Thwaites is already collapsing. “The simulations indicate that early-stage collapse has begun,” notes their news presser. What’s more, the Thwaites Glacier is a “linchpin” for the rest of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet; its rapid collapse would “probably spill over to adjacent catchments, undermining much of West Antarctica.”