Model: Thwaites Glacier could raise sea levels twice as much as predicted

A new model from UC Irvine and NASA JPL predicts that melting of Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier could raise global sea levels by up to 30 mm by 2100 — double earlier projections, even without additional warming. It accounts for a grounding zone 4–6 km wide where warm ocean water melts the ice from below. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

• Projected sea level rise by 2100 is up to 30 mm, double earlier estimates
• The model reproduced Thwaites changes since the 1990s four times better than conventional models
• 60% probability Thwaites detaches from Mouginot Ridge by 2100
• ICEYE radar data revealed fluctuations across a 4–6 km grounding zone