Doomsday Glacier: Why are scientists on alert? | the Chronicle

Scientists have obtained data for the first time from the subsoil of the Thwaites Glacier, better known as the ‘End of the World Glacier’, due to its potential contribution to sea level rise. Thanks to a subnarino Ran, unmanned, were carried out new discoveries published by the journal Science Advances, who revealed that the glacier’s hot water supply is larger than previously thought, raising concerns about faster melting and accelerated ice flow.

“It was the Ran’s first foray into the polar regions and its exploration of the waters under the pack ice. it was much more successful than we had dared to hope. We plan to expand on these exciting discoveries with new missions under the ice next year.», Explained in a statement the teacher Karen heywood, University of East Anglia, UK.

The strength, temperature, salinity, and oxygen content of ocean currents passing under the glacier were what the submersible could measure, among other data.

“Global sea level is affected by the amount of ice on land, and the greatest uncertainty in the forecast is the future course of the West Antarctic ice sheet.“he assured Anna wahlin, professor of oceanography at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and who is the author of the new study conducted by the scientists.

The rise in sea level from the current rate is due to 10% of the West Antarctic ice sheet, but it is also the one that has the most potential to increase this rate because the fastest changes in the world are happening. Thwaites glaciar.

Due to its location and shape, the Thwaites is particularly sensitive to the warm, salty ocean currents that make their way through it. This process can cause an accelerated thaw at the bottom of the glacier and the inward displacement of the so-called stranding zone, the area where the ice passes from resting on the seabed to floating in the ocean.

Due to its inaccessible location, far from research stations and in an area generally blocked by thick sea ice and numerous icebergs, there were few measurements in the area itself therefore, there are large gaps in the knowledge of ice-ocean boundary processes in this region.

“These are the first measurements taken under the Thwaites Glacier”Wahlin said, and these results were used to plot a map of ocean currents under the floating part of the glacier.

What the researchers found was that there is a deep connection to the east through which the deep waters of the Bay of Pine Island, a connection previously believed to be blocked by an underwater ridge.

As they also measured the heat transport in one of the three channels that lead hot water to the Thwaites Glacier from the north. “The channels through which the hot water enters and attacks Thwaites were not known until the investigation. Using the ship’s sonar, nested in the Ran’s high-resolution ocean mapping, we were able to discover that there are different paths water takes to enter and exit the pack ice cavity, influenced by the geometry of the sea ice. ocean floor. “, developed the doctor Alastair Graham, University of South Florida.