Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' is fighting an invisible battle against the inner Earth, new study f

[Judi Lynn]

Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' is fighting an invisible battle against the inner Earth, new study finds
By Brandon Specktor about 8 hours ago

Underground heat is cooking the Thwaites Glacier from below, and could push it closer to collapse.



Antarctica's Twaites Glacier is facing an assault of heat from the sky, the sea and deep underground. (Image credit: NASA)

West Antarctica is one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. For evidence, you need look no further than Thwaites Glacier — also known as the "Doomsday Glacier."

Since the 1980s, Thwaites has lost an estimated 595 billion tons (540 billion metric tons) of ice, single-handedly contributing 4% to the annual global sea-level rise during that time, Live Science previously reported. The glacier's rate of ice loss has accelerated substantially in the past three decades, partially due to hidden rivers of comparatively warm seawater slicing across the glacier's underbelly, as well as unmitigated climate change warming the air and the ocean.

Now, new research suggests that the warming ocean and atmosphere aren't the only factors pushing Thwaites to the brink; the heat of the Earth itself may also be giving West Antarctica's glaciers a disproportionately nasty kick.

In a study published Aug. 18 in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, researchers analyzed geomagnetic field data from West Antarctica to create new maps of geothermal heat flow in the region — essentially, maps showing how much heat from Earth's interior is rising up to warm the South Pole.

More:
https://www.space.com/antarctica-doomsday-glacier-geothermal-heat-map

[PSPS]

1. When Antarctica loses its ice over the next few thousand years, sea levels will rise over 200 feet

[CrispyQ]

2. People should watch the video at the link.

It's less than two minutes & worth it.