Look, with a name like the “Doomsday Glacier,” I’m not sure anyone ever expected it to be the harbinger of good news.

That said, scientists who regularly study it were absolutely horrified and what they found underneath.

They have been monitoring the glacier (officially called the Thwaites glacier) since 2018, and as the conclusion of the six-year International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration comes to an end, they call the outlook of it and its affect on the world “grim.”

These experts believe the glacier will melt even faster than previously estimated, with a complete collapse coming in the next 200 years. The icy mass contains so much water that when that happens, sea levels could rise by over two feet around the world.

Lob Larter, the UK science lead from the British Antarctic Survey, says their results can’t be skewed in a positive light.

“Thwaites has been retreating for more than 80 years, accelerating considerably over the past 30 years, and our findings indicate it is set to retreat further and faster. There is a consensus that Thwaites Glacier retreat will accelerate sometime within the next century. However, there is also concern that additional processes revealed by recent studies, which are not yet well enough studied to be incorporated into large scale models, could cause retreat to accelerate sooner.”

The glacier is 75 miles across and contains an area around 74,000 square miles – larger than Florida – and currently contributes to 4% of the total current sea level rise.

But it’s what scientists have found underneath that has them worried the glacier could collapse much sooner than previously expected – and that is a saltwater intrusion.

Previously, researchers believed the glacier hugged the sea floor, which would protect it somewhat from warming waters, but now that they’ve found out that is is lifted by high tides, the intruding water is expected to trigger “vigorous melting.”

Once the Doomsday Glacier goes, it will likely take most of the Antarctic Ice Sheet with it. This will cause sea levels to rise over ten feet, and spell the end of life as we know it.

This latest model shows us one thing for sure, says glaciologist Ted Scambos – we need to use the time we have left wisely.

“It’s concerning that the latest computer models predict continuing ice loss that will accelerate through the 22nd century and could lead to a widespread collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the 23rd. Immediate and sustained climate intervention will have a positive effect, but a delayed one, particularly in moderating the delivery of warm deep ocean water that is the main driver of the retreat.”

It’s well past time to take these threats seriously.

I wonder when the powers that be will begin to listen.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?