Thwaites Glacier Shows Major Rifting, Threatening 2 Feet of Global Sea-Level Rise

2 articles · Updated · Daily Kos · Jul 23

New satellite imagery shows major rifting in both the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf and the glacier’s floating tongue, signaling rapid disintegration could begin within days.
Rising ocean and air temperatures have weakened the shelf that once braced the glacier, while meltwater and heat are also loosening the land-based ice from bedrock and accelerating its seaward flow.
Researchers cited in the report say the widening gashes suggest the eastern shelf has largely detached from its tributary glacier and may no longer provide substantial back-stress, increasing the risk of calving into large icebergs.
The floating shelf itself would not raise sea levels, but the land-based ice behind Thwaites could add about 2 feet globally if lost, making the breakup a potentially major climate tipping-point event.

Sources

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