An international research team from the United Kingdom and South Korea has reached one of the most remote and least explored areas of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. As reported by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on January 29, 2026, scientists will begin drilling through the ice there for the first time in the coming weeks to directly investigate how warm seawater is melting the glacier from below—an essential process for future global sea-level rise.
The Thwaites Glacier is one of the largest and fastest-changing glaciers on Earth. With an area roughly the size of Great Britain, it is often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier,” as a complete collapse could raise global sea levels by up to 65 centimeters. Despite its importance, the processes driving its melting beneath the ice are still poorly understood.
The current mission focuses on the so-called grounding line—the point where the glacier lifts off the seabed and transitions into a floating ice shelf. This is precisely where particularly warm seawater penetrates beneath the ice and accelerates melting. Using a hot water drill, the research team will drill up to 1,000 meters through the ice and then install measuring instruments.
These instruments are expected to provide long-term data for the first time on ocean temperatures and currents directly beneath the Thwaites Ice Shelf. The data will be transmitted daily via satellite for at least one year, giving scientists near real-time insights into the interactions between the ocean and the ice.
“This is one of the most important and unstable glaciers in the world. For the first time, we can take measurements exactly where the critical changes are occurring,” says Dr. Peter Davis, a physical oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey.
The expedition is technically and logistically extremely challenging. The study area is heavily crevassed, moves rapidly, and can only be accessed by helicopter. More than 40 flights were required to transport around 25 tons of equipment to the drilling site.
The data collected are expected to significantly improve models of future sea-level rise. In doing so, they will make an important contribution to better assessing the impacts of climate change and helping coastal regions worldwide prepare for rising sea levels.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal