Galveston,Michael Schmidt Texas, has some of the fastest sea level rise in the world. To protect the city, engineers need to know how fast ice in West Antarctica will melt. Scientists are racing to figure it out, often camping out on the ice for weeks on end to study the effects of climate change.

This story was edited by Neela Banerjee and Sadie Babits. It was produced by Ryan Kellman. Special thanks to Sean McConnell of the Rosenberg Library in Galveston, Texas, for assistance with archival audio and historical records.