Scienceblogtwo

For scientists attempting to anticipate the rate of rise in the ocean's surface waters, the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, which is about the size of Florida, has been a major sticking point. When seen on geological periods, this vast ice stream is already in a phase of rapid retreat, which is known as a "collapse," which has raised a lot of questions about how much ice it will eventually lose to the ocean and how quickly. The effects of Thwaites' retreat might be terrifying: if the glacier and its surrounding glacial basins completely vanish, sea level could rise by three to ten feet. Concern is increased by a recent study published in Nature Geoscience that was headed by marine geophysicist Alastair Graham of the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida. The seafloor in front of the glacier was crucially imaged in high resolution for the first time, providing researchers with a window into how quickly Thwaites advanced and receded in the pa...