How the 'Doomsday Glacier' Could Change the World

The Thwaites Glacier, an ice formation the size of Florida, can change the world. And the latest research shows that some of its most vulnerable spots are in greater danger than previously thought.
Thwaites holds a colossal amount of ice, enough to gradually raise sea levels by over two feet(Opens in a new tab)(Opens in a new tab), though its collapse in a heating climate could unleash many more feet from neighboring glaciers. The Antarctic glacier has destabilized, retreating back nearly nine miles since the 1990s. If much of it progressively melts in the coming decades and centuries, large swathes of coastal cities and populated areas around the globe could become submerged, and easily thrashed by storms. For this reason, scientists are now intensely researching where Thwaites is melting, and how fast it might melt. These are monumental questions for Earth's future denizens.
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[@TheDane_BurnAllCopies]

...and some people called me, a doomsday idiot... well, bite me.

[@metaforically]

Oil isn't going anywhere. Too many rich folks want to stay rich. Adios.

[@NathanHarrison7]

Excellent video. Great content, cadence, citations and graphics. Thank you! Subscribed.

[@scotthannah4657]

Within the next 10 years, if we don't make drastic changes, we are going to have to update our model to include an additional 10 years before humanity is doomed.

[@Rnankn]

You seem to misunderstand the meaning of prevention. You want the worst effects to happen before you’re willing to make the necessary changes to avoid the worst happening? That is a convenient way to allow the wealthiest to enjoy themselves while they destabilize life on earth for everyone else. Yea maybe another 10 years of compounding the effects of cooking ourselves alive would be helpful.

[@Jones607]

We all need to stop breathing, and reduce CO2. Simples!😆💀

[@BrickTamlandOfficial]

lets build a freezer the size of florida that is powered by solar panels

[@newwaveinfantry8362]

You're joking, right? Freezers produce heat.

[@BrickTamlandOfficial]

@@newwaveinfantry8362 the fact that you had to ask says a lot more about you than it does about me.

[@newwaveinfantry8362]

@@BrickTamlandOfficial It's a testament to how dumb YT comments tend to be. I've seen even worse.

[@Chomp-Rock]

'We were worried about the glacier breaking, so we drilled a bunch of holes in it.'

[@DdDd-ct7fp]

But if you lay more taxs it will help

[@SandyChase]

Haha it's the size of Florida.

[@Chomp-Rock]

@@SandyChase that's probably why the thought of it breaking is so worrying

[@wlhgmk]

The melting point of ice is lowered about a degree C per km depth. When the slightly warmer salty water flows down the retrograde slope and hits the grounding line, it melts ice there. But the, now lighter water, flow up along the ice ceiling. It is slightly super cooled with respect to the melting point of ice at a shallower depth so it is not surprising that it doesn't melt this ice at a shallower depth. In fact, as it rises up the ice slope it freezes. The ice is in the form of thin plates called platelates. This is essentially an ice pump. Ice is melted at the grounding line and shifted seaward and into shallower water. It forms a slushy layer under the ice shelf. Each summer, most of this ice floats off into the ocean and is lost to Antartica.

[@grindupBaker]

Interesting but you need to clarify that you mean the "retrograde slope" of the shelf underside and not the sea bed. Not sure why you refer to that as "retrograde slope" but whatever.

[@alfredfleming3289]

That floating ice has had all the effect on sea levels that it can, melting makes zero difference.

[@arnehofoss9109]

At last, one intelligent person!!! Thank you!

[@grindupBaker]

That's true for floating ice but Thwaites Glacier isn't floating, so that's correct but entirely irrelevant.

[@ddhqj2023]

That ice shelf is the size of Florida and 3/4 of a mile thick. Melting will add to sea level rise and it frees up the glacier behind it to move towards the sea. And everything I've read suggests that when the entire glacier is finally in the ocean, it will add 2 feet to ocean levels. Doesn't sound like zero difference to the people who will be alive in 500 years+.

[@bobdooly3706]

​@@ddhqj2023its not melting😅

[@Jones607]

Over long periods the climate ebbs and flows. They keep having to revise their thaw dates because glaciers haven’t gone anywhere. Our weather is controlled by the Sun. Always has been, always will be.

[@SeanSauvageau]

I'm not going to be forced to buy an electric car. Humanity is the most adaptable species on Earth. We can figure it out as changes occur.

[@smokymcpot5917]

Getting rid of oil won't save us. Too many ppl.

[@kippertrace5808]

Yeah! Depopulation is what the real agenda is. Melting icebergs will cause rise in sea levels! Pah!

[@burnheart123]

5:46 is that the expected 1.5 - 2.5 feet sea level rise?

[@AnonymousNocturnal]

the one in the vid has gotta be like 50 feet lmfao

[@arnehofoss9109]

Ice floating on water makes no difference to sea level when melting.

[@SandyChase]

@@arnehofoss9109 It's a glacier. Most of it is ice on top of land.

[@adithyapoojary7288]

Just help that glacier melt speedly

[@afam58]

If we ALL drove 2 litre cars not SUV, regulated the ac at home, grew some home vegetables, used public transport, only 1 child we would be LIVING RESPONSIBLY😮😂❤❤🎉

[@pietropons4759]

This guys eyebrows will save us. Trusttt

[@gogrape9716]

The Sixth Great Extinction is not a question of but when... Its all perfectly natural...

[@hamidnassaj101]

Please say the measures in centimeters also. Thanks

[@THEOneAndOnlyDOCTORofHUMANICS]

I'm doing a video about your video, it will be ready in less than 20-minutes, so check-it-out in decades or centuries from now, you know, when you start caring about future generations! Professor-Marty.

[@morecringe89]

One year later...nope, no change yet experts.

[@JinKee]

I think I got an apocalypse bingo

[@youssefselkani]

bunch of lies

[@crisespinoza1979]

So we die. Meh

[@tomtom3889]

😂 I’ll be growing oranges in Alaska.

[@BufordTGleason]

If??? Has the potential?? C’mon

[@arpatt77]

1/8" of sea level rise per year means 96 years to get a 1' rise. Sounds bad ubtil you remember by then the ocean will just be rinsing away the remains of a nuclear holocaust to set up for the next iteration of humanity. We are currently living in Atlantis.

[@awilliams4957]

Yes we’re doomed .

[@andrewordog4397]

Put ice in a glass of water, when it melts, what happens?

[@ddhqj2023]

Except Thwaites isn't floating in the ocean yet and it's likely to add 2 feet to sea levels. That would be the end of communities like PEI and Richmond and Squamish, BC plus Bangladesh which is currently at sea level not to mention some of the smaller island nations.

[@SandyChase]

It's a glacier. Almost all of it is sitting on land.

[@morganoverbay8783]

DOOOOM !! DOOOOOOOOM, I SAY!!!

[@timaaaahhhh]

1:15 we are definitely doomed if we continue under capitalism.

[@filibertocaceresbetancur9135]

University of Amazon Peru Latin America city iquitos study Antártica oil prossesing since 150 years ago and Industrial revolution it has been since 262 years ago around the world wide

[@bobdooly3706]

What is the ulterior motive of the UN who were once promoting Global Warming in 2008 and now in 2024 Climate Change ?

[@SandyChase]

To stop people from dying or being displaced.

[@davidtison8771]

Lol

[@wegder]

As long as we have crypto I'm voting against fighting climate change.

[@joeghiuro837]

Stop drilling holes in it and it will be fine

[@steveburnside4390]

No your not scaring me into buying an EV. This is bullshit

[@alanpartridge5199]

Brought to you by Chicken Little ' The Sky is falling ' All a load of 'bail hooks' but if it keeps you in favour of high taxes and running scared - Happy Days

[@Morte_Deus]

Maybe they should stop driling holes in the ice.

[@timaaaahhhh]

you honestly think drilling for samples has an actual impact? wow.

[@BLUESKY10X]

when you speak in inches, feet and alike, you must also say the equivalent in centimeters, meters, kgs etc, it is basically in any scientific writing and speech as well as just a podcast. what cost you to do this? nothing But what cost you not saying both means of measurement... lots of misunderstanding or lack of understanding. See if you learn for the next podcast. It is Communication 101

[@tomtom3889]

Boo hoo