What is unique about the Thwaites glacier?

Thwaites glacier in western Antarctica is the widest glacier on Earth, spanning about 80 miles (120 kilometers) and extending to a depth of about 2,600 to 3,900 feet (800 to 1,200 meters). Rapid deterioration could end with the ice shelf’s complete collapse in just a few years, raising sea level to 10 feet (3 m), researchers warned at the Dec. 13, 2021, annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in New Orleans.