Ice Theft in Antarctica
a year ago
- #glaciers
- #Antarctica
- #climate change
- Glaciers are retreating globally and engaging in 'ice piracy,' where one glacier steals ice from another.
- Researchers observed unprecedented ice piracy among Antarctic glaciers using satellite data, with Kohler East stealing ice from Kohler West over fewer than 18 years.
- Kohler West slowed by 10% between 2005 and 2022 due to ice theft by the faster-moving Kohler East.
- This phenomenon was previously thought to occur over centuries or millennia, but new data shows it happening much faster.
- Understanding these dynamics helps predict future glacier behavior and its impact on sea level rise as the climate warms.