One of the world’s most stable glaciers begins to melt at a record pace
11 August 21:43
The Perito Moreno glacier in the Southern Patagonian Icefield in southern Argentina, which has been considered stable for decades, is now losing mass at the fastest rate in the last hundred years, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the scientific media Phys, researchers have documented that the glacier has begun to lose contact with the bedrock in the valley, which has accelerated the breakaway of large ice blocks. Slow-motion videos taken back in 2020 clearly show the beginning of this process.
University of Pennsylvania scientist Richard Ellie explained that the current rapid melting is a delayed response to global warming. For more than 10 years, the glacier has remained stable, but now it is responding rapidly to climate change.
The Perito Moreno, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, is one of Argentina’s main tourist attractions. Scientists predict that in the coming years it may break away by several more kilometers if the process of losing its support continues.
Glacial melting, experts warn, threatens to raise sea levels, destroy ecosystems, and even increase volcanic activity. According to UN forecasts, by 2050, many glaciers will disappear in the world, including the last ones in Africa, while Greenland’s glaciers are already melting five times faster than two decades ago.
