One question that researchers are aiming to find out and find out quickly is how quickly the Thwaites Glacier will melt and what time do they have remaining. They also want to know what effect it will have on global sea levels and cities that lie along the coast when that takes place. A five year international project has been undertaken to find out the answers. Part of the expedition is Peter Sheehan, who is an oceanographer aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer. He is one of the first persons on earth who had the opportunity to have a close view of the Thwaites Glacier. He also had to observe the part of the Glacier that extends out to the sea. Before this, he had been seeing the Glacier on Google images as the images are taken from space and poring over the images for countless hours and when he saw it in real life he was amazed. He had to exclaim that the real thing was more magnificent. He said that the Glacier was somewhat mystical. While standing close to it, he felt a sense of reverence for it. Although the Glacier had not been touched by him, he could feel as if he had already stepped his foot on it.

Key Takeaways:

• The Thwaiter Glacier has a part that extends to the sea and oceanographer, Peter Sheehan, who was working on the Nathaniel B. Palmer, was the first to notice it.
• Before he discovered the glacier, he had been spending countless hours poring over Google images taken from outer space but was surprised when he saw the real thing.
• Thwaites which is nearly as tall as a seven story building was a mystical beast to Peter Sheehan as he gazed at it from the ship.

“Researchers recently spent several weeks studying Thwaites as part of a five-year, international effort to try to answer those pressing questions.”

Read more: https://interactive.pri.org/2019/05/antarctica/doomed-glacier-race.html