RESEARCHERS from Northumbria University have been awarded £754,000 to take part in one of the most detailed and extensive examinations of a massive Antarctic glacier ever undertaken.
A new £20m research collaboration was announced yesterday between the UK and US to gather data on the Thwaites Glacier, with the aim of establishing whether the glacier will collapse over the next few decades or centuries.
Antarctica’s glaciers contribute to sea-level rise when they lose more ice to the ocean than is replaced by snow. The Thwaites Glacier is approximately two thirds the size of Britain, and its collapse could significantly affect global sea levels, causing them to rise by between three and five metres. Scientists are worried that ice loss may accelerate in the future.
A university spokesman said: “The fact that Northumbria University is involved in two of the eight funded projects reflects the world leading strength of the science in this field here.”
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