Glaciers
Argentine deputies approve glaciers law reform by 137 votes
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Argentina's Chamber of Deputies approved a reform to the Glaciers Law early Thursday by 137 votes in favor, 111 against, and 3 abstentions. The change allows extractive activities like mining in previously protected areas, sparking backlash from environmentalists and citizens. Over 300,000 people joined a collective unconstitutionality lawsuit, and La Pampa's governor filed a judicial injunction.
An international team led by the University of Portsmouth has cataloged more than 3,100 surging glaciers worldwide that can suddenly accelerate, triggering floods, avalanches and other hazards. These glaciers, concentrated in regions like the Arctic and Karakoram Mountains, affect nearly one-fifth of global glacier area despite comprising just 1 percent of all glaciers. Climate change is altering their behavior, increasing unpredictability.
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An ice cave on Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in Iceland collapsed on August 25, 2024, killing 30-year-old American Jeffrey Ayco during a summer tour. His pregnant wife was critically injured, prompting a massive rescue operation involving hundreds of volunteers. The incident highlights risks in the expanding glacier tourism industry.
Researchers have discovered that massive hidden underwater waves, triggered by iceberg calving, significantly intensify the melting of Greenland's glaciers. Using a 10-kilometer fiber-optic cable, an international team measured these waves for the first time. The findings reveal a powerful mixing effect that brings warm seawater into contact with glacier bases, accelerating ice loss.
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A glacier on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula has experienced the quickest ice loss ever documented in modern times. Hektoria Glacier shortened by nearly half its length in just two months in 2023, shedding eight kilometers of ice. This rapid collapse, driven by its below-sea-level ice plain, raises concerns about accelerated sea level rise from larger Antarctic glaciers.