Scientists warn Thwaites Glacier could lose eastern shelf this year
Technology
The Thwaites Glacier (nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier") is dangerously close to losing its eastern ice shelf, and scientists say it could break apart as soon as this year.
While the glacier itself won't vanish overnight, the collapse would let more ice slide into the ocean faster, raising concerns about rising sea levels.
Up to 2.1ft sea level rise
Thwaites is massive, about as big as Great Britain, and acts like a stopper for much of West Antarctica's ice.
Thanks to warming oceans, it's already retreated more than 19.31km since the 1990s and is now riddled with cracks.
If it eventually collapses, global sea levels could rise by up to 2.1 feet, putting coastal cities and low-lying countries at greater risk in the years ahead.