Senegal-sized Antarctic glacier melting faster than thought: Why it matters

The world’s largest glacier is melting much faster and could add twice as much to global sea levels as previously expected over the next century. New research published this week by a team of glaciologists has found that the Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica is losing mass rapidly because warm seawater is pushing underneath it and melting its core. This could add 1.2 inches (30mm) to water levels even if global warming does not accelerate as predicted. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, add to a growing body of evidence that shows that the glacier, which has been receding for decades, is now losing mass even faster than scientists thought.