300 foot underwater tsunamis triggered by Doomsday Glacier threaten the world
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "300 foot underwater tsunamis triggered by Doomsday Glacier threaten the world")
AI image of tsunami waves Photograph: (Freepik)
Doomsday Glacier is producing underwater tsunamis, which are not easy to study. Scientists have found a way to observe and analyse them. As the glacier melts, more of these waves will occur. How is it changing?
Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Doomsday Glacier, can produce underwater tsunamis ranging from 30 to more than 300 feet, according to researchers. This happens when glaciers collapse, creating a wave that could reach extreme heights. We know that iceberg calving happens, but what happens underneath the water at this time? "These big underwater waves, with amplitudes of 10s to possibly hundreds of meters, what that can do is mix deep water with water closer to the surface. We have to understand that in order to make those better predictions about sea ice melt,” said British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Oceanographer Dr Alex Brearley.
Scientists are using underwater torpedo drones to observe the occurrences under the glaciers. When calving events happen in the Thwaites Glacier, underwater tsunamis are triggered. These tsunamis are speeding up the mixing of cold and warm waters, rising sea levels, etc. All of which could be an indicator of what’s to come, should environmental catastrophe strike.
Why does this matter?
These underwater tsunamis are dangerous because they mix warm and cold water. As the ocean churns, deep, warm water moves upwards to the surface. This warm water slams into the bottom of the glacier and the surrounding sea ice. This causes the ice to melt much faster than scientists previously predicted.
Doomsday Glacier and sea level rise
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Thwaites Glacier is a major risk to the world's coastlines. Studies estimate that if it collapses entirely, it could raise global sea levels by about two feet. This event could then act as a catalyst and cause the rest of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to fall as well, raising sea levels by 10 feet
How are they studying it?
Humans can't study these tsunamis closely. So scientists are using underwater "torpedo" drones to measure the waves caused by the calving events. These hidden "underwater tsunamis" are a newly discovered gear in the climate change machine that is accelerating how fast our oceans are rising.
