Antarctica | 22 October 2026
The story in brief
A glacier is a huge mass of ice that moves slowly.
New research suggests that a large glacier in Antarctica could raise sea levels more than scientists previously expected.
Who is involved?
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Scientists from the United States: Studying how Antarctica's ice is changing.
What happened?
Scientists used a computer program to predict how Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica might change.
Part of the glacier floats on the ocean.
The researchers found that ocean tides push warmer water underneath the glacier.
This water melts the ice from below.
The new research predicts that Thwaites Glacier could add about three centimetres to sea levels worldwide by 2100.
This is twice the amount previously predicted.
What is the background?
Thwaites is the widest glacier in the world.
Scientists have been studying it for many years because it is losing ice.
Why does it matter?
When ice from glaciers on land enters the ocean, sea levels rise.
Higher sea levels can increase flooding in coastal towns and cities.
What happens next?
The predicted rise is an estimate, not a certainty.