Radar Yields Data On Glacier’s Effect In Sea-Level Rise

Warm, salty seawater is flowing deep under the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, sometimes getting trapped in spots where it can push up ice more than 0.8 kilometers, according to a study based on radar data of the “Doomsday Glacier,” so called because of estimates that its melting could increase global average sea levels by 0.6 meters. “The worry is that we are underestimating the speed that the glacier is changing, which would be devastating for coastal communities around the world,” said Christine Dow, co-author of the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.