Doomsday Glacier Collapse Could Drown Major Cities

A massive glacier in West Antarctica, roughly the size of the UK or Florida, could cause catastrophic flooding across the globe if it collapses. Known ominously as the “Doomsday Glacier,” Thwaites Glacier is one of the largest and most unstable ice formations on Earth—and it’s deteriorating fast.

According to a recent report from The Express by Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas and John O’Sullivan, scientists are raising alarms about the glacier’s rapid retreat. If Thwaites fully collapses, sea levels could rise by 65 centimeters (about 25 inches), inundating coastal cities like New York, London, and Bangkok. And that’s just the beginning. If neighboring glaciers also give way, global sea levels could surge more than 10 feet in the long term—submerging entire nations and displacing millions.

Thwaites is currently shedding ice at more than twice the rate seen in the 1990s. A warm southern hemisphere summer and intensifying ocean currents are accelerating its destabilization. A 2013 outflow event released a lake’s worth of water—comparable to Scotland’s Loch Ness—beneath the glacier, “turbo-charging” its retreat, according to Professor Noel Gourmelen of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.

Dr. Alastair Graham of the University of South Florida told News.com.au that “the game has changed,” emphasizing that we’re nearing a tipping point. Once the glacier’s outer ice shelf gives way, its collapse could speed up dramatically.

The future of Thwaites hinges on whether humanity slashes emissions and reins in global heating. This is yet another urgent wake-up call: business-as-usual is no longer an option. If we want to avoid an underwater future, we must transition away from fossil fuels, demand climate action, and push for a plant-based, low-impact lifestyle. The clock is melting.

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