Antartica's 'Doomsday' Glacier's Giant Ice Shelf Is About to Break Away

Why It Matters

The collapse would accelerate Antarctic ice loss, pushing sea‑level rise toward multi‑meter scenarios that threaten coastal infrastructure and economies globally.

Key Takeaways

• Thwaites Glacier contributes ~4% of global sea‑level rise.
• Its eastern ice shelf is rapidly thinning and developing large rifts.
• Loss of the undersea “pinning point” eliminates buttressing support.
• Ice flow upstream has surged 33% since 2020.
• Shelf collapse could triple ice loss by 2067, raising sea level 3.3 m.

Summary

The video focuses on Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, often dubbed the ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ and the imminent disintegration of its eastern floating ice shelf.

Scientists attribute the rapid decay to warmer ocean currents that thin the shelf, and to the loss of an under‑sea ridge that once anchored the ice – the so‑called pinning point. Satellite imagery now shows expanding rifts where the glacier meets the ocean, and buttressing forces have largely vanished.

New research, pending publication, indicates that ice flow upstream of the shelf has accelerated by roughly 33 % since 2020. Models project that by 2067 the glacier could shed about 190 gigatons of ice per year – three times today’s rate – potentially triggering a cascade across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and contributing up to 3.3 meters of global sea‑level rise.

While the shelf’s breakup will not instantly raise sea levels, the loss of its stabilizing effect will speed ice discharge for decades, reshaping coastlines worldwide and raising the stakes for climate‑adaptation planning.

Original Description

Antarctica’s most threatened glacier is about to be further destabilised, as the floating ice shelf in front of Thwaites glacier is set to break away.

Dubbed the “doomsday glacier”, Thwaites is about the size of Britain, but it is shrinking rapidly and is already responsible for 4 per cent of all global sea-level rise. Worse still, its collapse is expected to set off a domino effect in the entire West Antarctic ice sheet, ultimately resulting in a calamitous sea-level rise of 3.3 metres and changing the coastline of the entire planet.

Tap the link to learn how Antarctica's 'doomsday glacier' collapse may be worse than we thought

https://www.newscientist.com/video/2529040-antarcticas-doomsday-glacier-collapse-may-be-worse-than-we-thought/