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Thwaites Glacier

All articles tagged with #thwaites glacier

Drilling Into Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier Ends in Setback but Yields Key Data
science20 days ago

Drilling Into Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier Ends in Setback but Yields Key Data

Scientists drilling into Thwaites Glacier with a hot-water borehole faced their instruments getting stuck about three-quarters of the way down and had to abandon the deployment, but the data recovered reveal warm, turbulent waters beneath the ice driving sub-ice melt. The findings improve understanding of the glacier’s instability, and researchers plan to return to continue studying it, given its potential to raise global sea levels by about 65 cm if it destabilizes.

Antarctica’s Thwaites Drill Ends in Time Crunch, Not triumph
science23 days ago

Antarctica’s Thwaites Drill Ends in Time Crunch, Not triumph

British and South Korean scientists’ ambitious drill under Thwaites Glacier collapsed at the final step when the borehole refroze and entombed the instruments, forcing an abrupt end to a mission intended to install long‑term tidal‑water sensors. Earlier attempts did yield some preliminary measurements from beneath the glacier, revealing warm, turbulent waters that fuel its melt, but time and bad conditions prevented deployment of the moored instruments and completion of the study.

Scientists Camp on Thwaites Glacier to Drill Into the Ocean Below
science28 days ago

Scientists Camp on Thwaites Glacier to Drill Into the Ocean Below

British and South Korean researchers camping on Thwaites Glacier aimed to begin a multi-day drill to lower instruments through half-mile ice into the ocean below, to study how bottom-up melting drives sea-level rise; fierce winds and heavy snow threaten equipment and could delay a mission that follows an eight-week voyage of the icebreaker Araon.

Field Camp on Thwaites Glacier Launches Critical Ice‑Ocean Study
science1 month ago

Field Camp on Thwaites Glacier Launches Critical Ice‑Ocean Study

Weather delays finally allowed scientists to set up a field camp on Antarctica's fast-melting Thwaites Glacier. Over the coming weeks they will bore about half a mile into the ice to deploy instruments in the warming ocean beneath, seeking to understand how seawater is eroding the glacier and what its collapse could mean for global sea levels. The temporary camp includes ten single-occupancy tents, a science tent and two toilet tents after helicopter landings were previously blocked by clouds.

Antarctic Ice Shelf Teeters Toward Collapse, Hinting at Record Sea-Level Rise
science1 month ago

Antarctic Ice Shelf Teeters Toward Collapse, Hinting at Record Sea-Level Rise

A new study finds cracks in Antarctica’s Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf have weakened its structure, with fracturing progressing in two phases over two decades. If the shelf collapses, global sea levels could rise by about 65 centimeters (roughly 2 feet) as the ice retreats at a rapid pace for decades. The Arctic is warming about three times faster than the global average, driving significant ice loss and shrinking sea ice, which NASA and other agencies have monitored for years. The report underscores the need for reducing pollution and changing human behavior to slow Arctic melt and mitigate future sea‑level rise.

Drilling Into Thwaites: Charting Antarctica’s Fastest-Melting Glacier
science1 month ago

Drilling Into Thwaites: Charting Antarctica’s Fastest-Melting Glacier

A New York Times climate feature follows a 10-person expedition aboard the icebreaker Araon as scientists drill into Thwaites Glacier to install sensors and measure how fast it’s melting, battling challenging weather while assessing how soon the glacier could collapse and raise sea levels. The report sits alongside coverage of EPA’s revised approach to cost-benefit analyses for pollution, and data showing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 2.4% last year due to more coal use and colder weather, all within ongoing climate-policy debates.

Weather Windows Drive Race to Drill Thwaites Glacier
science1 month ago

Weather Windows Drive Race to Drill Thwaites Glacier

A 10-person team aboard the icebreaker Araon is attempting to drill into Thwaites Glacier to install instruments in the warming seawater beneath, aiming to gauge melt and potential sea-level rise. Repeated weather changes and low visibility have repeatedly halted helicopter flights and delayed operations, with the crew surveying for a safe drilling site and even considering overnight camping on the ice. The team plans to push forward for about a week to seize any favorable window before the ship must depart, hoping to finish before February 10.

Scientists Warn of Imminent Collapse of Doomsday Glacier
science2 months ago

Scientists Warn of Imminent Collapse of Doomsday Glacier

The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, known as the 'Doomsday Glacier,' is experiencing accelerated retreat and structural weakening due to cracks and warming ocean waters, which could lead to a potential collapse and up to 11 feet of global sea level rise, posing a significant threat to coastal communities. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying these processes, and urgent mitigation efforts are needed to delay or prevent catastrophic outcomes.

Doomsday Glacier Nears Collapse
science2 months ago

Doomsday Glacier Nears Collapse

The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, known as the 'Doomsday Glacier,' is experiencing accelerated retreat and structural weakening due to cracks and warming ocean waters, raising concerns that its collapse could trigger up to 11 feet of global sea level rise, with scientists emphasizing the urgent need for climate change mitigation to delay this potential catastrophe.