Scientists are deeply concerned about a glacier in Antarctica that is expected to melt quickly in the upcoming years
because they believe its collapse would pose serious hazards to global water levels
According to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the Thwaites Glacier
sometimes known as the "doomsday glacier" because of the dangers it poses if it collapses, might raise the sea level by many feet if it melted completely.
For several years, researchers have monitored the glacier's retreat out of concern for the potential harm the icecap, which is the size of Florida, might do.
According to Robert Larter, one of the study's co-authors from the British Antarctic Survey, "Thwaites is really hanging on by its fingernails today
we should expect to see big changes over small timescales in the future — even from one year to the next — once the glacier retreats beyond a shallow ridge in its bed."