Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, holds enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by more than two feet. But scientists warn that if it fully collapses, it could trigger a chain reaction affecting the much larger Antarctic ice sheet. The result? A staggering sea level rise of up to 10 feet, enough to drown major global cities like London, New York, and Bangkok.

These urban centres, home to millions and popular with tourists from around the world, would be among the first to face catastrophic flooding in such a scenario.

Researchers have been monitoring Thwaites closely through the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), which launched in 2018 to study the glacier’s stability. What they’ve found is deeply concerning: the glacier is riddled with so-called “hidden lakes” beneath its surface, which may be playing a far greater