Two major glaciers in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are losing ice at the fastest rate for at least 5,500 years. At the current rate of retreat the vast glaciers, extending deep into the heart of the ice sheet, could contribute as much as 3.4 meters (11.15 feet) to global sea level rise over the next several centuries. Antarctica is covered by two huge ice masses: the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets, which feed many individual glaciers. The WAIS has been thinning at accelerated rates over the past few decades. Within the ice sheet, the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers are particularly vulnerable to global warming and already contribute to sea level rise.
Source: Imperial College London