Context: A new scientific study has found rapidly increasing ice fractures in the Thwaites Glacier, indicating possible destabilisation pathways for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
About Doomsday Glacier (Thwaites Glacier):
What it is?
- The Thwaites Glacier, popularly called the “Doomsday Glacier”, is one of the largest and fastest-changing glaciers on Earth. It acts as a critical outlet glacier draining ice from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the ocean.
Location:
- Situated in West Antarctica, flowing into the Amundsen Sea
- Forms part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, one of the most unstable ice masses globally
Key features:
- Massive scale: Roughly the size of the UK; complete collapse could raise global sea levels by ~65 cm.
- Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS): A floating extension anchored by an undersea ridge (pinning point) that slows ice flow.
- Shear zone fracturing: Study shows fractures developing in two stages—long cracks parallel to ice flow followed by perpendicular cracks.
- Rapid deterioration: Annual fracture length doubled from ~165 km (2002) to ~335 km (2022).
Implications:
- Accelerated sea-level rise threatening coastal cities, deltas, and island nations.
- Cascade effects: Collapse could destabilise neighbouring glaciers and the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Relevance for UPSC examination syllabus
- GS Paper I (Geography)
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- Cryosphere, glaciers, ice sheets, sea-level rise, polar geography.
- GS Paper III (Environment & Climate Change)
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- Climate tipping points, global warming impacts, disaster vulnerability of coastal regions.
- GS Paper II (International Relations)
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- Global climate governance, Antarctic Treaty System, climate diplomacy.
