In the remote and hostile realm of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica, powerful winds known as low-level jets (LLJs) race over its coastal regions, including both the Thwaites and Pine Island ice shelves and the open ocean. These previously unknown atmospheric forces could hold the key to understanding—and predicting—the alarming melt of two critical glaciers: Pine Island and Thwaites, the latter ominously called the “Doomsday Glacier” for its potential to unleash catastrophic sea-level rise.
Antarctica’s hidden wind jets: Study reveals storm-driven low-level jets near Thwaites ‘Doomsday Glacier’
