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July 01, 2024

The latest word on Thwaites Glacier's dangers

Per Grist, new papers show that the "cork in the bottle stopper" glacier of the Antarctic is being eroded in two different ways.

One is the "grounding line," where Antarctic glaciers move off land and to above the sea. That's being cut back, and also, metaphorically, lubricated better, so a warming glacier flows to sea faster.

The second is tidal pulsing. That's where tides lift the portion of a glacier over the ocean. But, this can also lift the portion back further, over land, and loosen it, and cause effects similar to that of grounding line changes.

And, Thwaites appears extra susceptible to this.

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