A projection map allows users to simulate the fallout if the Thwaites Glacier were to completely melt, drastically raising sea levels.
Why It Matters
The Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is a massive and critical component of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Stretching roughly 75 miles wide and flowing into the Amundsen Sea, its significance lies in its potential contribution to global sea level rise. If Thwaites were to collapse completely, it could raise sea levels by more than 10 feet, according to CNN.
According to Britannica, the Thwaites Glacier is responsible for about 4 percent of current global sea level rise.
What To Know
A projection map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests that should sea levels rise by this much, numerous U.S. states would see consequential impact.
In Florida, a large, southern portion of the state would be swallowed by seawater, including some of the state’s most famous areas, such as the city of Miami and Everglades National Park.
A large portion of Louisiana would be engulfed, as would parts of the Texas coastline, the projection showed.
Along the East Coast, a slew of major cities would be impacted by rising waters and expanding rivers, including Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia, Charleston in South Carolina, as well as Norfolk and Virginia Beach in Virginia.
Atlantic City would also see impact, as would part of New York City.
On the West Coast, coastal areas of Los Angels, including Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach, would be affected by rising sea levels, according to the projection, as would portions of San Francisco and its surrounding locales.
What People Are Saying
Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at the University of California, Irvine and part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration said, according to CNN: “While progress has been made, we still have deep uncertainty about the future. I remain very worried that this sector of Antarctica is already in a state of collapse.”
Marine physicist Robert Larter, in a statement, according to The Independent: “There is a consensus that Thwaites Glacier retreat will accelerate sometime within the next century.
“However, there is also concern that additional processes revealed by recent studies, which are not yet well enough studied to be incorporated into large scale models, could cause retreat to accelerate sooner.”
What Happens Next
The glacier, roughly the size of Florida, could be entirely lost by the 23rd century, according to scientists.
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