Why in the News?

A recent scientific study has revealed increasing fracturing in the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Doomsday Glacier, indicating how large parts of the Antarctic ice sheets could collapse in the future. The findings were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface.

Thwaites Glacier (Doomsday Glacier)

The Thwaites Glacier is a massive glacier in West Antarctica that drains ice from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Amundsen Sea. It is one of the fastest changing glacier systems on Earth.

Why it is called the Doomsday Glacier

• Complete collapse could raise global sea levels by about 65 cm
• Acts as a gateway glacier whose destabilisation can trigger wider ice sheet collapse

• Focus area: Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS), a floating extension of the glacier

Pinning point and shear zone

• TEIS is attached to an undersea ridge called a pinning point
• Pinning points slow ice flow but also cause compression and fracturing
• Upstream of the pinning point lies a shear zone where ice deforms intensely

Fracture patterns observed

• Ice fracturing occurred in two stages
  • Long fractures parallel to ice flow
  • Smaller fractures perpendicular to ice flow
• Annual fracture length increased sharply
  • From about 165 km in 2002
  • To about 335 km in 2022

Consequences of fracturing

• Breakdown of the shear zone accelerates ice flow
• Faster ice flow increases ice discharge into the ocean
• Raises risk of destabilisation of the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Prelims Pointers

• Thwaites Glacier is located in West Antarctica
• Known as the Doomsday Glacier due to sea level rise potential
• Complete melt could raise sea levels by about 65 cm
• Study used satellite and GPS data over two decades
• West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a global climate tipping element

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