What to know

Video: 1m:54s

• A team of nearly 40 global researchers have succeeded in a treacherous trek through sea ice to study the Thwaites Glacier.
• For a while, they weren't sure (see video here) they were going to make it, said Miles O'Brien, PBS News Hour's science correspondent, aboard the Korean icebreaker, Araon [AH-ruh-on]. "The sea ice might as well be molasses," O'Brien reported on Jan. 8, 2026.
• Known as the "Doomsday Glacier," Thwaites is a vast expanse of ice roughly on Antarctica's Walgreen Coast, roughly the size of Florida.
• O'Brien and team have reached the neighborhood of the glacier, but more challenges await, including flying two helicopters to Thwaites.

Why it matters

As temperatures rise, Thwaites remains Antarctica's fastest melting glacier and threatens to raise global sea levels. Researchers emphasize the need for accurate projections of melting ice, which can better help policy makers prepare for climate change.

Discussion questions

• What was the mooring being used for? What equipment do you see up on the helicopter deck?
• What challenges do you think await the ship's crew? What about the scientists?
• Would you like to go on an expedition to Antarctica one day? Why or why not?

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