Scientists propose building a 50-mile wall to prevent the Doomsday Glacier from melting
The accelerating melt of the Thwaites Glacier has prompted an unprecedented proposal: the construction of an 50-mile underwater barrier.
The Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is melting faster than previously expected. A group of engineers and climate scientists has put forward a bold solution to slow its deterioration by physically blocking the flow of warm ocean water, the primary cause of its ice loss. The initiative aims to protect what is widely known as the “Doomsday Glacier.”
Thwaites is responsible for nearly 4 percent of the global annual rise in sea levels. Its size and ice volume are large enough to raise sea levels by more than an estimated two feet if it were to collapse completely. Every additional inch would increase the risk of coastal flooding for millions of people around the world.
The proposal calls for the installation of a flexible underwater curtain anchored to the seabed and designed to prevent warm ocean currents from reaching the base of the glacier. While this structure would not stop climate change, it could significantly slow the rate of ice loss.
Blocking ocean currents
The barrier would stand about 500 feet tall and stretch roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) across the front of the glacier. It would act as a physical shield against warm water, and its development would begin with a three-year research phase focused on materials, design, and prototype testing.
Scientists are also gathering new data from within the glacier itself. Using hot-water drilling, instruments are being lowered to depths of nearly 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) to measure how the ocean interacts with the glacier’s base. These measurements are expected to provide critical insights into the processes driving the rapid ice loss in one of the most unstable glaciers on the planet.
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