'Warm' water found under Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier heightens global warming fears

As the world grips with the fallout of global warming, scientists have made yet another alarming discovery - 'warm' water under the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, according to international reports. Scientists have recorded water temperatures at 2 degrees Celsius in the usually frigid environment of Antartica, marking a first. The measurements which were taken at the glacier’s grounding line (area where glacier's foundation shifts from bedrock to sea)were expected to be normal freezing point - 0 degrees, according to researchers.

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'Warm' water found under Antarctic glacier

Scientists who were working on the Thwaites Glacier (the size of Florida) have reportedly stated that presence of warm water under means that the structure may be deteriorating at a faster rate. Previously, scientists believed that the total collapse of teh glacier may occur in a century. This warm water will contribute to the increasingly rising sea levels. 

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How did the team measure water?

Glaciologists drilled a hole about 30 centimeters wide and 600 meters deep, or roughly one foot by 1,970 feet to collect the data. The process is reported to have taken 96 hours with the team working in subzero temperatures to measure the mixing of fresh water from the glacier and salty ocean water. The study which is part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration will reportedly be published in March.

Photo: European Space Agency

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What are the consequences?

Scientists believe that warm waters in this part of the world hint at the potential dire changes to the planet majorly due to human activities affecting the climate. Currently, the Thwaites Glacier and the Pine Island Glacier are reportedly holding back ice - which if melted will raise the world's sea levels by more than a meter, or about four feet, over centuries. This amount of water will put several coastal areas underwater. 

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