Manhattan-sized cavity under Thwaites glacier

Satellite data from a NASA-led project has revealed a massive cavity under the Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica. The cavity covers an area about two-thirds the area of Manhattan and is 300 m tall. This discovery has surprised scientists who know that ice melting from the Thwaites glacier is already contributing to rising sea levels.

A joint US-UK expedition left Chile on 29th January heading to Thwaites to try to better understand how the instability of this vast glacier is likely to progress as melting continues.

Photo: NASA