Destabilized by ocean waves and vanishing sea ice, Antarctica’s Hektoria glacier lost 25 kilometers of ice in 16 months — a possible hint of what’s to come.
— Several Antarctic glaciers are undergoing dramatic acceleration and ice loss. Hektoria Glacier, the worst affected, has quadrupled its sliding speed and lost 25 kilometers of ice off its front in just 16 months, scientists say.
Hektoria Glacier, Green Glacier, and Crane Glacier sit near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, which reaches up toward South America. The crescent moon–shaped bay, called the Larsen B Embayment, once seemed stable. As these glaciers oozed off the coastline, their ice used to merge into a floating slab around 200 meters thick. This slab, called the Larsen B Ice Shelf, was about the size of Rhode Island and filled the entire bay.
Satellite images taken just 10 days apart reveal the dramatic breakup of sea ice in Antarctica’s Larsen B Embayment. On January 16, 2022, sea ice filled the bay . By January 26 , the ice had fractured and was drifting away following a series of powerful waves that struck the bay several days earlier.Right: Joshua Stevens, MODIS/LANCE/EOSDIS/NASA, WORLDVIEW/GIBS/NASA
In 2022, water temperatures near the surface of the Southern Ocean rose several tenths of a degree Celsius, causing pack ice to shrink and peel away from the peninsula. This exposed the area to waves, which then broke up the landfast sea ice. The previous standout, Alaska’s Columbia Glacier, had lost 20 kilometers of ice in 30 years, records show. But Hektoria lost its 10 kilometers of nonfloating ice in just five months — including 2.5 kilometers that crumbled in a 3-day period.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Giant Antarctic sea spiders’ reproductive mystery solved after 140 years of confusionLaura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma.
Read more »
This Luxury Cruise Ship Is Bringing World Class Whiskey to AntarcticaWith over 135 top-shelf bottles towering above its stately lounge, the Eclipse II from Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is the first Antarctic expedition equipped to adequately appease whiskey geeks. Here's what it's like to be onboard.
Read more »
The Fisker Ocean Is The Worst Car MKBHD Has Ever ReviewedMKBHD (Marques Brownlee) says the Fisker Ocean is the worst car he has ever reviewed. Why? Because most of its functions don't ever work. Or sometimes do and sometimes don't.
Read more »
Ocean Temperatures Keep Shattering Records—and Stunning ScientistsSea surface temperatures have been skyrocketing beyond expectations. That may be a bad sign for hurricane season—and the health of ocean ecosystems.
Read more »
Fisker Ocean Limits Launch Control To 500 Uses For The Lifetime Of The EVThe software limiter could have long lasting effects for Ocean owners down the line
Read more »