VTV.vn – Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is facing an alarmingly fast melting rate.
(Photo: Alexandra Mazur/University of Gothenburg)
Underwater robots observing the Thwaites glacier – the river nicknamed “Doomsday” has realized its “doomsday” may come sooner than expected with the rate of melting ice increasing rapidly. A detailed map of the seafloor around the area shows that the Thwaites are experiencing the fastest ice retreat in the past few centuries.
The Thwaites Glacier is a giant block of ice, about the size of the US state of Florida or the whole of Great Britain. This glacier is slowly melting into the ocean off West Antarctica and could raise the sea levels by 0.9 to 3 meters if it completely melts.
The recent findings raise great concern that the Thwaites Glacier has experienced a very rapid rate of ice dwindling even before the effects of climate change that have accelerated that rate. The study was published online on September 5.
