The Totten Glacier in East Antarctica could cross the point of no return within the next century if global warming continues at the current pace.

The Totten Glacier in East Antarctica could cross the point of no return within the next century if global warming continues at the current pace. Photo credit: The University of Texas at Austin

Because the glacier acts as a stopper for a large catchment area in the massive East Antarctic ice sheet, its disintegration could result in raising the global sea level by 2.9 meters according to a recent study.

“Totten Glacier is only one outlet for the ice of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, but it could have a huge impact. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is by far the largest mass of ice on Earth, so any small changes have a big influence globally,” co-author Martin Siegert from the Imperial College London told the Independent.

For a deeper dive: Independent, Washington Post, Phys.org, Time, IB Times

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