Underwater robots are studying the 'Doomsday Glacier' in Antarctica. What can we learn?
Scientists in west Antarctica have captured a first-of-its-kind seafloor mapping near the world’s widest glacier – which is shrinking at a pace that could one day raise global sea levels up to 10 feet, according to the University of South Florida.
U.S., U.K. and Swedish researchers deployed underwater robots close to the seafloor of the Thwaites Glacier to retrieve data, said Dr. Alastair Graham, a geological oceanography associate professor at the University of South Florida. Graham led the study released Monday.
“We've essentially found Thwaites has a speed limit that's higher than what we expected it to have,” Graham told USA TODAY. Experts say what they've learned about its ability to quickly retreat raises concerns for the future.
The major concern with the Thwaites Glacier, also nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier," is its size: The approximately 70,000-square-mile glacier is as big as Florida, according to Graham. Researchers in June said the glacier may be losing ice at its fastest pace in the past 5,000 years, according to the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/underwater-robots-are-studying-the-doomsday-glacier-in-antarctica-what-can-we-learn/ar-AA11xmop