Thwaites - An unstable ice flow in the West Antarctic

Thwaites is an unstable ice flow in the West Antarctic along the Amundsen Sea. The melting of this large glacier is hidden, occurring at its base as shown in this figure from the EOS article that describes the US-UK initiative called the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC). (see - https://eos.org/features/diagnosing-thwaites?utm_source=eos&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EosBuzz020720)

Glacial undercutting is believed to be the result of warmer surface waters and to the global scale circumpolar deepwater current melting the underside of the glacier along the continental shelf. As the underside melts the glacier load becomes lighter and becomes less strongly anchored to the underlying bedrock. Additional melting and undercutting occurs making larger sections of the glacier unstable and prone to collapse. Retreat of the grounding zone can hasten the calving rate. Melting of the Thwaites could raise global seal level by 1/2 meter.