Glaciers are huge masses of ice that slide very slowly on land in cold regions such as Antarctica in the south of the world, and scientists study them regularly because they have a big role in understanding climate change on the planet.
The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the glaciers, but it is undoubtedly the most striking of these glaciers, and it was recently awarded the nickname "River of the End of the World", because studies have indicated that it slides faster than usual so that it is close to descending completely into the water, which means that it will melt at a faster rate.
Imminent danger
The researchers in this range believe that as the Thwaites River, which looks small but is actually larger than Great Britain in area, melts it will contribute to ocean levels rising by about 60-70 centimeters.
But the problem is not that the altitude is dangerous in itself, but that Thwaites also acts as a natural dam for all the ice accumulated in the entire West Antarctica, which the researchers estimate that falling into the ocean and melting will raise sea levels by about 3 meters.
The fall and melting of the Thwaites River and the surrounding glaciers will raise sea levels by about 3 meters (NASA)
If that happens, many coastal cities around the world will undoubtedly disappear, or at least face serious dangers, such as Shanghai in China, Alexandria in Egypt, Miami in the United States, Dhaka in Bangladesh and others, with a clear change in the map of a number of countries, in all regions of the world.
Research in this area does not seem optimistic, as a study released in January 2020 indicated that Thwaites is less stable than before, as a set of deep cracks have appeared on the underside of the glacier accelerating its slide.
In a study published in May in the journal Science, scientists mapped the land beneath Thwaites and discovered that the sedimentary nature of the sedimentary rock beneath it facilitates the sliding process, meaning future slipping will accelerate.
The additional problem is that with global warming, ice is melting in ocean waters at faster rates because the oceans are inherently hotter than before, and it is believed that we will see the impact of a gradual rise in sea level by the end of this decade.