The Thwaites Glacier, known as the “Glacier of the Apocalypse,” is melting rapidly due to climate change, and its melting could seriously raise sea levels, flooding the cities of New York and Miami.
Scientists are proposing radical methods to prevent catastrophic flooding along the US East Coast.
They proposed the creation of a gigantic submarine “curtain”, artificially increasing the thickness of the glacier with the help of sea water or cooling the rock formations on which it moves, reports Noi.md with reference to .
One idea is to water the sea on the surface of the glacier. This would freeze and increase its thickness. But this method is risky and expensive. The salinity level of the water can affect the structure of the ice, and pumping the water requires huge energy expenditure.
Another idea is to create an underwater “curtain” that would block warm underwater currents. The technology requires complex technical solutions and the impact on the marine ecosystem is not fully studied.
The researchers also proposed cooling the rocks over which the glaciers move, which would reduce friction and slow their melting. But the project is expensive and requires further research.
According to scientists, the disappearance of the Thwaites Glacier will also lead to the collapse of the WAIS Glacier – the continental ice sheet that covers West Antarctica.
WAIS is actually an ice cap that sits in a basin below sea level in West Antarctica.
If the Thwaites Glacier and the WAIS Glacier collapse, there will be irreversible and extreme sea level rise that will endanger millions of people and accelerate the melting of other glaciers around the world.
