Giant iceberg blocks scientists’ study of ‘Doomsday Glacier’

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

Teams of scientists sailing to Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier, are having trouble getting there. A giant iceberg, spawned by the falling apart Florida-sized glacier, and lots of sea ice are keeping two research ships from exploring the key area bordering the ocean. Scientists hope to find out how fast Thwaites’ leading edges are breaking up, which will help them calculate future sea level rise around the world. One science team had to settle for drilling and studying a neighboring ice shelf, and they talked about how important the research is from the blinding white ice.