Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' fighting against the Earth's inner heat and climate change
Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' is not only losing ice rapidly from , but it's getting a double whammy from the heat of the Earth itself, a new study suggests. The Thwaites Glacier which has been called the 'Doomsday Glacier' due to its impact on sea level rise is being hit with heat from the Earth's crust, as it is only 10 to 15 miles deep below West Antarctica, compared to around 25 miles in East Antarctica. This results in an a 'geothermal heat flow of up to 150 milliwatts per square meter,' the study's lead author, Dr Ricarda Dziadek, said in a . According to the , the Thwaites glacier contributes roughly four percent to annual sea-level rise and is now believed to be losing 80 billion tons of ice per year. Since 1980, it has lost at least 600 billion tons of ice, according to a 2017 analysis done by the , using data from NASA JPL. Some of the accelerated sea ice loss can be attributed to hidden rivers under the glacier, according to , but most of it is related to climate change and rising temperatures. The researchers looked at geomagnetic field datasets of West Antarctica to create new geothermal heat flow maps. These showcase how important the second, but just as important, factor is on the glacier and its subsequent ice loss, even if the exact impact is presently unclear. 'The temperature on the underside of the glacier is dependent on a number of factors for example whether the ground consists of compact, solid rock, or of meters of water-saturated sediment,' explained co-author and AWI geophysicist Dr Karsten Gohl. 'Water conducts the rising heat very efficiently. But it can also transport heat energy away before it can reach the bottom of the glacier.' In 2020, researchers the first-ever footage of the underside of the glacier, showing turbulent warm waters under the ice sheet that are causing an 'unstoppable retreat.' The temperature of Earth's crust can vary depending upon location, but it can range between 200C (392F) to 400C (752F) near the Moho, according to . The team found that the heat flow from the Earth's crust is imperative to look at when thinking about its future. 'Large amounts of geothermal heat can, for example, lead to the bottom of the glacier bed no longer freezing completely or to a constant film of water forming on its surface,' Gohl added. 'Both of which would result in the ice masses sliding more easily over the ground. If, in addition, the braking effect of the ice shelf is lost, as can currently be observed in West Antarctica, the glaciers' flow could accelerate considerably due to the increased geothermal heat.' The enormous basin contains more than six feet of additional potential sea level rise and a significant melting could result in the Thwaites Glacier living up to its 'doomsday' name. The research was published Thursday in the journal .