The “Doomsday Glacier” That’s Terrifying Experts as Sea Levels Rise

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“Since the start of the 20th century, global-mean sea level has risen faster than over any prior century in at least the last 3,000 years, and the rate of increase is accelerating,” — United Nations (UN) report.

Sea levels rise for two main reasons, and they’re connected. The first is because of the annual rise in global temperatures, which causes the expansion of the world’s seawater. You might wonder why seawater ultimately expands — it’s because of the rapidly melting ice from northern and southern glaciers. One of the largest of these is the “Doomsday Glacier” in Antarctica.

What is the Doomsday Glacier?

Thwaites Glacier, unofficially known as the Doomsday Glacier, was named in 1967 after the late American glaciologist Fredrik T. Thwaites. It is the world’s widest glacier, positioned east of Mount Murphy on West Antarctica’s northern coast.

In a 2017 Rolling Stone article, Jeff Goodell first called Thwaites “The Doomsday Glacier,” a nickname now more common than the official name of the massive expanse of ice. The Doomsday Glacier size is astronomical, covering 74,100 square miles — think of the size of Florida. Because of this gigantic area and the thousands of feet it extends downward into the ocean, the glacier is concerning scientists worldwide. You see, Thwaites Glacier is melting rapidly.

What Happens if the Doomsday Glacier Melts?

If the Doomsday Glacier melts completely, its breach from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), which it’s part of, would cause a near-apocalyptic event. This breach would allow warmer water to melt and dislodge the WAIS, raising sea levels by almost 11 feet. Stand on the shoreline and imagine 11 feet more water before you. It’s a frightening thought.

Such an occurrence is known as a climactic science tipping point — an environmental shift causing dangerous and irreversible impacts on the earth and humanity. Many prominent coastal cities and island nations would face extreme flooding and tsunami-like disasters, with some likely not surviving the impact. Maybe the San Andreas fault isn’t California’s biggest problem?

Although recent findings show that Thwaites Glacier has been retreating since the 1940s, with significant ice loss first noticed in the 1970s, even more dramatic and impactful melting is now evident. It’s concerning knowing that the Doomsday Glacier and another large one, Pine Island Glacier, also on the WAIS, were retreating at similar rates in the 20th Century. Thwaites alone is losing 50 billion tons of ice to melting each year, which accounts for 4% of the rise in the global sea level.

Scientists believe this dramatic annual loss of ice and warm tidal currents flowing under the glacier is causing an increased melting rate each year, raising the yearly sea level even more. Pine Island Glacier is melting at the same rate as Thwaites. Imagine how similar or different-timed breaches by both glaciers could cause an even more catastrophic tipping point through a likely increased escalation in sea levels. 

How Do Increasing Sea Levels Impact the Earth?

Rising sea levels already impact the earth’s food and water sources, coastal ecosystems and manufactured infrastructure. Further increases will continue these trends but to a more serious degree. It may be time to invest in that yacht and explore the water. Some ways rising seawater impacts the earth are:

Harm to Food and Water Sources

Coastal flooding causes saltwater to enter freshwater sources and tributaries, compromising your drinking water. Agriculture and fish farms require fresh water, often from natural sources, further impacting your food and, potentially, your livelihood. 

Damage to Ecosystems

Rising sea levels affect coastal ecosystems, threatening the mangroves, salt marshes and coral reefs you visit on vacation. Then, don’t forget the animals, birds, insects and sea life that call these home.  

Infrastructure Damage and Increased Costs 

Rising water risks destroying cars, bridges, roads and homes in low-lying coastal areas. Worldwide, we’re already seeing increasing instances of unseasonal and devastating flooding. Every disaster increases costs and the workforce needed for repairs. Social services face more pressure to assist in relocating people who’ve lost their properties and means of income. Consider how rising seawater could impact the tourism and fishing industries.

What Can Be Done to Curb the Doomsday Glacial Melting?

Although still theoretical, researchers have suggested a plan to thwart the increasing rate at which the Thwaites Glacier and others in the WAIS are retreating. Glaciologists feel pressure to find a viable solution soon, although there is some disagreement among experts regarding how long they still have to find one. 

John Moore of Finland’s Lapland University backs this view up — “Some say it is too late to prevent its collapse; others say we could have 200 years. But it certainly could be beyond its tipping point, and we have to be prepared.”

The Best Solution

Moore is part of a research team that published a white paper last year called “Glacial Climate Intervention: A Research Vision” to suggest an intervention in the WAIS glacial melting. The team suggests tethering layers of massive fiber or plastic curtains to concrete foundations 2,000 feet into the ocean for a 50-mile section of the West Antarctic, reducing the warm currents affecting the glaciers’ state and slowing the melting rate. 

You can imagine the precision, time and expense such an undertaking would require, but with a tipping point potentially already in motion and a predicted maximum of  200 years to avert catastrophic disaster, it’s well worth it. You might ask why it’s taking so long, and that’s a good question. 

In 1978, John Mercer, Ohio State University’s resident glaciologist, warned of a “major disaster — a rapid five-meter rise in sea level, caused by deglaciation of West Antarctica” if the world’s carbon footprint escalated further. Only a few years later, glaciologist Terry Hughes of Maine University identified Thwaites and Pine Island as the “weak underbelly” of the WAIS.

Like all other sustainability initiatives, the world dragged its heels until action was blatantly overdue. In the case of the Doomsday Glacier, the time for action has already perceivably passed. 

Will the Doomsday Glacier Live Up to Its Name

Most of the world’s population remains oblivious to the potential apocalyptic event brewing in West Antarctica. Like many others, you may be aware of the implications and can do no more than rely on glaciologists, researchers, and other scientists to harness their fear into positive actions to save the Earth from disaster.