Doomsday Glacier's Quiet Cracking Accelerates Collapse, New Study Reveals

• Scientists found "quiet cracking" is rapidly weakening Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, dubbed the "Doomsday Glacier," pushing it towards collapse.
• The study, published in Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface, analyzed satellite imagery, GPS, and ice speed data from 2002-2022.
• A critical pinning point that stabilized the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf has weakened as thinning ice reduced its contact with the seabed.
• Fractures in a narrow shear zone doubled in length (165 km to 330 km), creating a feedback loop where cracks accelerate ice flow, generating more cracks.
• This accelerated ice movement, observed via GPS and satellite, suggests fracture feedbacks are crucial for sea level rise models, not just melting.

Why It Matters: Quiet cracking is rapidly accelerating the collapse of Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, impacting future sea levels.