The Thwaites glacier is a large part of the West Antarctic ice sheet that is held back by steep cliffs on its landward side, but warm ocean currents are weakening the bottom of the glacier’s ice and accelerating its slide into the ocean.
The glacier holds enough ice to raise ocean levels by more than two feet, which could put tens of millions of people living in low-lying areas at risk of being displaced and having to abandon their homes, hence its nickname, the “doomsday glacier”.
The nonprofit research organisation Arête Glacier Initiative was founded last year with the aim of researching how big a risk does sea-level rise pose in the coming decades and if it can be minimised.
It will issue a request for proposals from research teams on March 21.