Study: Warm Water Melting Weak Spots of "Doomsday Glacier"

Image copyright: Zuma Press [via NBC News]

The Spin


Narrative A

The "doomsday glacier" serves as a cork in the bottle that is Antarctica, but the climate changes we face are, predictably, threatening its future. While science has not yet advanced far enough to predict the effect of changing climate patterns in the way meteorologists might predict the weather, this study gives us some idea of the bleak decades ahead for Antarctica if the human species does not adjust its behavior.


Narrative B

Yes, Thwaites is melting, but this state of affairs is not the death sentence that much of the media would have audiences believe. Sensationalized coverage of the "doomsday glacier" put forth fails to account for several factors that contradict predictions of its imminent collapse and the threat of the resulting sea rise. While it's okay for the media to inform the public, it's not acceptable for them to scaremonger about relatively limited risks to people's safety.


Metaculus Prediction


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