The scientist did not rule out the destruction of the shelf barrier of the Doomsday Glacier in 2026

The shelf barrier of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, known as the "Doomsday Glacier," may collapse as early as this year. This was announced on May 29 by Robert Larter, a marine geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey.

"The last piece of the ice shelf in front of the glacier is ready to disintegrate. We don't know exactly how this ice shelf will collapse, but it will definitely disappear. Now it is breaking away from the glacier, and its internal structure is becoming more and more fragile," he said in an interview with the popular science online publication Live Science.

The scientist noted that the destruction of the ice shelf is likely to lead to its removal and possible complete fragmentation. According to Larter, such an event will become noticeable on satellite images and will allow scientists to assess the further reaction of the glacier.

It is noted that the Thwaites Glacier is melting rapidly due to rising water temperatures. At the same time, if it and neighboring glaciers melt, the level of the world's oceans may rise by three meters.

The destruction of the Doomsday Glacier is accelerating. What you need to know

Andrey Kiselyov, Candidate of Physico-Mathematical Sciences at the Voyeykov Main Geophysical Observatory, said on May 26 that the melting of the "Doomsday Glacier" in Antarctica could have serious consequences for the world. According to Kiselyov's forecasts, residents of lowlands, such as the Netherlands, Venice and even St. Petersburg, may find themselves in a vulnerable position because of this.

The rapid weakening of the Thwaites Glacier became known in December last year. Then scientists from the Earth Observation Center of the University of Manitoba and their international colleagues pointed out the development of cracks in the shear zone of the entire ice massif. They made such conclusions when studying satellite images taken from 2002 to 2022.