← NewsAll
President Trump linked to funding cuts for Thwaites 'Doomsday' glacier research.
Summary
The article reports the Trump administration cut funding tied to the research icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer and questions claims that the Thwaites ('Doomsday') glacier will cause large near-term sea-level rise.
Content
The article discusses recent reporting and funding decisions related to the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. It reports that the Trump administration announced cuts affecting support for the research icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer and that the National Science Foundation said it would terminate the ship's lease in its 2026 budget request. The author challenges descriptions of Thwaites as a near-term "Doomsday" threat and reviews studies about the glacier's rate of change and possible causes. The piece references published research that the author says points to modest near-term sea-level contribution and to natural or geologic influences.
Key reported points:
- The article reports the Trump administration announced cuts to support for the research icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, and that the NSF's 2026 budget request would terminate the ship's lease.
- The article says researchers have had to find alternate ships and that some news crews have joined voyages to document coverage.
- The article cites studies it says estimate only a few millimeters of sea-level rise from Thwaites over the next 50 years and highlights research noting subglacial volcanism and mid-20th-century natural variability as factors.
Summary:
The article contends that funding changes are affecting Antarctic research and that some media coverage uses alarmist framing for the Thwaites Glacier. Undetermined at this time.
