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Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina Faces Accelerated Thinning Threat
Context:
Scientists have reported that the Perito Moreno Glacier, historically stable for decades, has been thinning at a sharply accelerated rate since 2019, raising concerns of irreversible changes.
Perito Moreno Glacier
- Location: Situated in Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Argentina.
- Known for its stability despite global glacier retreat trends.
- It is a tidewater glacier with a snout that periodically advances and retreats slightly, but has remained largely balanced in mass over decades.
Current Threats Identified
- Since 2019, thinning rates have sharply increased.
- Radar mapping in 2024 revealed deep bedrock ridges that help hold the glacier in place; thinning could destabilize this balance.
- If bedrock no longer anchors ice, the glacier could start floating, accelerating calving and retreat.
Implications of Destabilization
- Potential for irreversible retreat, similar to other rapidly declining glaciers.
- Loss of glacier mass would contribute to sea level rise.
- Glacial retreat could disrupt local ecosystems and tourism.
- Increased freshwater input to oceans can impact global ocean circulation.
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