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Study raises fears that glaciers may retreat quickly

ClimateWire: “Researchers found that old glaciers retreated more than a quarter-mile a day. That’s worrisome for today’s sea-level rise. Melting glaciers may be capable of shrinking much faster than scientists previously thought, according to a new study that adds to concerns about rapidly melting Antarctic ice, including the massive Thwaites Glacier, often called the “Doomsday Glacier” for its potential effect on sea-level rise. The study, published in Nature, found that thousands of years ago, glaciers in Europe retreated by up to 2,000 feet a day — more than a quarter-mile — for short periods. That’s the fastest rate ever recorded and far faster than previous studies had suggested was possible. The findings could provide new insight into the fate of today’s ice sheets and may suggest that glaciers in modern-day Greenland and Antarctica could melt faster than expected. That includes some of the world’s biggest and most ominous glaciers such as Thwaites, which contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by two feet on its own.”

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