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Antarctic's Cadman Glacier Retreats 5 Miles in 2.5 Years, Ice Shelf Collapses

Warmer ocean temperatures accelerate glacier's retreat, doubling its flow and increasing iceberg calving by 28% in 13 months.

  • Antarctica's Cadman Glacier has retreated 5 miles over just 2.5 years, between November 2018 and May 2021, due to warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures.
  • The glacier's ice shelf, which floats on the ocean surface but remains anchored to land, has completely collapsed, doubling the speed at which the glacier was flowing and increasing iceberg calving into the sea by 28% in 13 months.
  • The glacier is now losing about 65 feet of elevation a year as ice continues to thin, draining some 2.38 billion tons of ice into the ocean annually.
  • Neighboring glaciers on the west Antarctic Peninsula did not react in the same way, possibly due to underwater ridges acting as defensive barriers, deflecting warmer water.
  • Researchers warn that the rapid changes in the Cadman Glacier might indicate the future for its neighboring glaciers, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive ocean observing network around Antarctica.
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