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Scary: Doomsday glacier may be melting faster than expected

Scary: Doomsday glacier may be melting faster than expected

Researchers take time analysing the icy waters north of Alaska, Canada and Russia

Global warming needs no explanation. The threat of sea levels rising due to melting polar ice caps is well known. The rising sea levels are expected to cause much trouble for shoreline cities in coming decades.

But even when some of largest cities in the world face getting submerged. International efforts to stall global warming need more push.

Now it has been said that the 'Doomsday glacier' in Antarctica may be melting at faster rate than previously anticipated. The Thwaites Glacier has been given this scary nickname. Doomsday glaciercurrently accounts for 10 per cent of global sea-level rise. The glacier is 192,000 square kilometres (74,000 square miles) wide. Imagine the trouble caused when and if it melts completely.

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Now, readings taken by researchers from University of Gothenburg in Sweden have revealed that warm water is seeping under the Doomsday glacier and threatening to melt the very pillars that keep the glacier afloat.

These 'pinning points' are being whittled down from all sides due to heat inflow caused by warm water.

Warm, salty water is entering the cavity under the Doomsday glacier and threatening the entire structure, researchers have found.

They have published their findings in the journal Science Advances.