Underwater Barrier Planned to Slow ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Melt

The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, nicknamed the ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ is melting faster than scientists had anticipated, prompting a bold plan: constructing an underwater barrier to block warm ocean waters and slow its retreat.

Currently responsible for roughly 4% of the world’s annual sea-level rise, Thwaites has the potential to raise global sea levels by nearly 65 centimetres if it collapses completely. In response to this looming threat, researchers and engineers have proposed the “Seabed Curtain” project, an ambitious initiative to install a flexible underwater wall stretching around 80 kilometres across key sections of the seabed in front of the glacier.

Rising to approximately 152 metres from the ocean floor, the barrier is designed to act as a physical shield, limiting the flow of warm water that is melting the ice from below.

Led by teams from Cambridge, Chicago, New York, and other institutions, the project aims to buy crucial time while global emissions-reduction efforts take effect. Project leaders stress that the barrier will not stop climate change, but it could slow the pace of ice loss significantly.

The plan begins with a three-year research phase focusing on material selection, anchoring systems, and prototype testing. Early-stage development is expected to require around $10 million in funding.

Alongside this engineering effort, scientists are deepening their understanding of the glacier itself. A joint UK-South Korea team has recently begun drilling through Thwaites’ main ice shelf using hot-water drilling techniques, accessing previously unreachable areas. Instruments placed nearly 1,000 metres below the surface will monitor the interaction between warm water and the glacier’s base in real time for the first time.

Dr. Peter Davis, a physical oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey, described the work as critical to predicting future sea-level rise. Data from these instruments will be transmitted daily via satellite for at least a year, offering unprecedented insights into the processes driving rapid ice loss in one of the most vulnerable glaciers on Earth.

The Seabed Curtain project represents a huge technical challenge, requiring designs that can withstand Antarctica’s harsh conditions and deep-water pressures. By combining cutting-edge engineering with advanced scientific exploration, researchers are racing against time to confront one of the planet’s most urgent climate threats.