Science Alert September 17, 2020
The Thwaites, a Britain-sized glacier in western Antarctica, is melting at an alarming rate: It is retreating by about half a mile per year. Scientists estimate the glacier will lose all its ice in about 200 to 600 years. When it does, it will raise sea levels by about 1.6-2 feet. Right now, the glacier acts as a buffer between the warming sea and other glaciers. Its collapse could bring neighbouring ice masses in western Antarctica down with it. Added up, that process would raise sea levels by nearly 10 feet, permanently submerging many coastal areas including parts of New York City, Miami, and the Netherlands. If the entire Antarctic ice sheet melted, scientists estimate sea levels would rise by 200 feet (60 metres)…read more. Animation
Crevasses near the grounding line of Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica. Credit: Ian Joughin/University of Washington