Scientists claim that the "Doomsday Glacier," which has the potential to significantly increase sea levels, is barely hanging on.
The "doomsday glacier" in Antarctica, so dubbed because of the harm it poses to the world sea level and high chance of collapse.
As the earth heats, the Thwaites Glacier, which can raise sea levels by several feet, is disintegrating along its submerged base.
In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, They discovered that the glacier's base had been detached from the seafloor at some time in the last two centuries
and was retreating at a rate of 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometres) per year. That is more than twice the rate that researchers have seen over the past few years.
Alastair Graham, a marine geophysicist at the University of South Florida and the study's lead author, said in a news release that the rapid disintegration might have happened "as recently as the mid-20th century."
It suggests that once the Thwaites moves past a seabed ridge that is assisting in keeping it in check, it will be able to make a quick retreat in the near future.
Robert Larter, a marine geophysicist said, Thwaites is really clinging on by its fingernails right now, and in the future,
we should expect to see significant changes over brief periods of time, possibly even from one year to the next.
One of the widest glaciers on Earth, the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is bigger than the state of Florida.