Antarctica is melting and one of its largest glaciers is collapsing from underneath. This is Thwaites glacier, sometimes called the doomsday glacier – and for good reason. If it destabilises, it could trigger a wider collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, raising sea levels by up to 5 metres. Scientists believe we may be approaching a tipping point that could completely redraw the world’s coastlines, putting cities such as Kolkata, New York and London at risk of severe flooding, displacing millions of people.
In our latest video, we speak directly to scientists involved in an international effort to better understand what is happening with Thwaites, what the risks involved are and why it’s potentially much more devastating than we previously thought.
Read more: Scientists crush ice cores to predict Antarctica’s next big ice crack
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