A NASA-led study of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antartica has uncovered a giant cavity that appears to be growing, according to the Daily Mail. The findings have raised concerns about the stability of the glacier, which has long been dubbed the most dangerous in the world.
The Thwaites Glacier is approximately the same size as the state of Washington. It is up to 13,100 feet deep in places and, if it collapsed, scientists believe it contains enough ice to increase global sea levels by as much as two feet. They also believe it is fundamental in supporting several other glaciers which, if they all collapsed, could see sea levels rise by an additional eight feet.
The Thwaites Glacier has been melting at increasing speed over the past 50 years. Ice discharge in the region is up by 77 percent since 1973.
The scientists undertaking this latest study had expected to find some evidence of deterioration of the glacier, but they had thought this would mainly come from seawater eroding the ice from below.
But both the size and rapid growth of this new cavity has surprised them. The new cavity is estimated to have contained 14 billion tons of ice and scientists say this must have all melted over the past three years.
