Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier

Antarctica's Thwaites glacier is the largest ice shelf in West Antarctica and the third largest in the world. It covers about 1,500 square miles (3,900 km²) and is slowly melting away due to global warming. Scientists have warned that if the Thwaites glacier collapses, sea levels around the globe would rise by several feet.

 Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have studied satellite images of the Thwaites glacier and discovered that it is losing mass at a rate of about 2.8 billion tons per year. If the glacier completely melted, it would raise global sea levels by approximately 6.5 feet (2 m).

 In March 2018, scientists reported that the Thwaites glacier was retreating at a faster pace than expected. The researchers said that they were surprised by the speed of the retreat, which was occurring despite the fact that the area had been experiencing unusually warm temperatures.  The Thwaites glacier is located near the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica. It is considered to be one of the most vulnerable parts of the continent. The Thwaites Glacier is the second-largest contributor to rising sea levels after Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbræ.

 According to NASA, the Thwaites glacier is currently losing about 10 cubic kilometers of ice each year. However, the total amount of ice lost from the glacier over the past decade is equivalent to the volume of water contained in Lake Erie.  The Thwaites Ice Shelf is situated between two major landmasses—the Antarctic Peninsula and East Antarctica. It is connected to the Ross Ice Shelf via a narrow channel called the Filchner Trough. The Thwaites ice shelf is not the only ice shelf in Antarctica that is rapidly disappearing. Another example is the Larsen B Ice Shelf, which collapsed in 2002.  The Thwaites is the fastest-retreating ice shelf in West Antarctica.  The Thwaites' rapid melt is caused by warmer air temperatures and increased precipitation. The Thwaites has already contributed to sea level rise by 0.6 inches (15 mm), according to research published in 2017. The Thwaites glaciers are responsible for about 20 percent of the increase in sea levels since 1993.  The Thwaites Glaciers are located in the Transantarctic Mountains region. The Thwaites are among the top ten contributors to global sea level rise.