Antarctic glacier’s alarming retreat is the fastest ever seen

New research reveals that an Antarctic glacier has retreated at an astonishing rate—ten times faster than earlier measurements indicate.

Glaciologists found that the Hektoria Glacier on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula retreated by 5 miles in just 2 months, nearly 10 times faster than previously observed for grounded glaciers. This was published in Nature Geoscience.

Since 2021, researchers have been monitoring the Larsen Bay area in Antarctica because a large chunk of sea ice attached to the shoreline is expected to break off. Naomi Ochwat, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

The sea ice broke apart in January 2022, and the team continued to monitor the glaciers’ responses. Later that year, more ice from Hektoria broke off and fell into the sea.

Grounded glaciers, which are fixed to the land rather than floating, typically retreat by less than 1,000 feet per year, according to the researchers.

Satellite and aerial images from November to December 2022 show that the glacier retreated nearly half a mile per day at certain points, according to the paper.

As the grounded glacier thinned, it undoubtedly retreated onto an ice plain, the bedrock that supports the glacier between its grounded and floating sections.

Ultimately, the entire ice plain became exposed to the ocean, causing it to float and further exacerbate glacier calving, according to the researchers.

The calving event was so significant that it triggered measurable earthquakes in the region as the grounded glacier fractured. An Antarctic iceberg the size of Chicago has broken off, revealing a thriving undersea ecosystem. According to the paper, Hektoria continues to calve giant icebergs into the sea.

Antarctica is closely monitored by climate scientists because it has the potential to greatly contribute to sea level rise as global temperatures continue to increase. The western shelf of the continent is especially concerning, as it contains two unstable glaciers.

The Thwaites Glacier, widely recognized as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is a significant contributor to global sea level rise, accounting for approximately 4%. Its relentless melting underscores the urgent need to address climate change and its impacts on our planet.

The Pine Island Glacier is the fastest-melting glacier in Antarctica. Ochwat noted that similar calving events at either Thwaites or Pine Island could have significant implications for sea level stability. The research findings highlight the importance of understanding the bedrock in Antarctica.

Hosea 4:1 The LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hosea 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

Hosea 4:3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish=lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and diseases; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

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