Thwaites glacier.

• Recent studies show that the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier, is on the edge as warm water from the ocean has seeped into its weak spots.
  • Thwaites glacier is the widest glacier on earth and part of West Antarctica Ice Sheet.
• The glacier, which could lead to a significant rise in sea levels if it breaks off or melts, is facing one of the worse conditions due to melting caused by rising temperatures.
• Researchers have conducted first-of-its-kind observations beneath the floating ice shelf to reveal widespread cracks and crevasses where melting occurs more rapidly.
• Remotely operated Icefin underwater robot was used through a nearly 2,000-foot-deep borehole drilled in the ice and which captured the first close-up views of the critical point.
• The research paper published found that warmer water was making its way into crevasses and other openings known as terraces
• Glacier Terraces- It is a long segment of a glacier. It is formed due to the stripping of soft strata from hard strata. In India, the glacial terraces are addressed as Karewas. They are found in Kashmir valley.
• Glacial Crevasses- These are deep cracks in glaciers. Their sizes may range from a few inches to more than 40 feet. They are formed due to shear stress.

Impact

• Thwaites glaciers could cause more than half a meter of global sea level rise, and could further destabilize the neighboring glaciers that have the potential to cause a further three-meter rise.
• The region in Antarctica is one of the continent’s fastest changing and most unstable glaciers.