Antarctica’s Glaciers are Melting Faster Than Expected. Should People Be Worried?

Sara Yermian, Staff Writer

Photo of gradually melting “Doomsday Glacier” demonstrating the sheer magnitude of the Taiwaits glacier compared to a mere boat. (Photo by Linda Welzenbach, Rice University)

Hey sailors! As many of you may be aware, Antarctica’s glaciers are melting and are becoming a larger issue than ever before, but why? And how worried should we be? To begin, 90% of the earth’s land that is covered by ice is in Antarctica. As a result, this landmass is the largest contributor to rising sea levels. Wherever glaciers –that form on land– produce more runoff, the ground can no longer hold the increasing amount of melted ice. Anthropogenic causes have been contributing to the melting of these glaciers since the 1900s Industrial Revolution, with carbon and greenhouse gasses contributing to rising temperatures. But what are the consequences of this?

Rising sea levels make storms such as hurricanes and typhoons more common. The so-called “doomsday glacier” or Taiwaits glacier in Antarctica– which is roughly the size of Florida– has an ice shelf that is gradually cracking, whose collapse could raise overall sea levels by nearly 10 feet in the future. Hence the name “doomsday”.   

The frequency of floods increases as sea levels rise; no other natural disaster has caused as much devastation as floods in the United States. As a result, numerous people around the world who have been forced to migrate are without shelter or food. To paint a broader picture, if every glacier and ice sheet on the planet melted, sea levels would rise by about 200 feet (if global warming continues unabated). This catastrophe could result in entire regions being destroyed and submerged underwater.

 

Sources 

Hancock, Lorin. “Why Are Glaciers and Sea Ice Melting?” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/why-are-glaciers-and-sea-ice-melting. 

Jacobo, Julia. “Antarctica’s Melting ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Could Raise Sea Levels by 10 Feet, Scientists Say.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 6 Sep. 2022, https://abcnews.go.com/International/antarcticas-melting-doomsday-glacier-raise-sea-levels-10/story?id=89415405. 

Tsui, Karina. “A ‘Doomsday Glacier’ the Size of Florida Is Disintegrating Faster than Thought.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Sept. 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/09/06/thwaites-doomsday-glacier-antarctica-disintegrating/. 

Nunez, Christina, and National Geographic Staff. “Sea Level Rise, Facts and Information.” Environment, National Geographic, 16 Feb. 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/sea-level-rise-1?loggedout=true.