Latest news with #LucasRuiz
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
‘It can't withstand the heat': fears ‘stable' Patagonia glacier in irreversible decline
One of the few stable glaciers in a warming world, Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, is now undergoing a possibly irreversible retreat, scientists say. Over the past seven years, it has lost 1.92 sq km (0.74 sq miles) of ice cover and its thickness is decreasing by up to 8 metres (26 ft) a year. For decades, Perito Moreno defied the global trend of glacial retreat, maintaining an exceptional balance between snow accumulation and melting. Its dramatic calving events, when massive blocks of ice crashed into Lago Argentino, became a symbol of natural wonder, drawing millions of visitors to southern Patagonia. Dr Lucas Ruiz, a glaciologist at the Argentine Institute of Nivology, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences, said: 'The Perito Moreno is a very particular, exceptional glacier. Since records began, it stood out to the first explorers in the late 19th century because it showed no signs of retreat – on the contrary, it was advancing. And it continued to do so until 2018, when we began to see a different behaviour. Since then, its mass loss has become increasingly rapid.' Scientists and local guides warn that the balance is beginning to shift. 'The first year the glacier didn't return to its previous year's position was 2022. The same happened in 2023, again in 2024, and now in 2025. The truth is, the retreat continues. The glacier keeps thinning, especially along its northern margin,' said Ruiz. This sector is the farthest from tourist walkways and lies above the deepest part of Lago Argentino, the largest freshwater lake in Argentina. The summer of 2023-24 recorded a maximum temperature of 11.2C, according to meteorological data collected by Pedro Skvarca, a geophysical engineer and the scientific director of the Glaciarium centre in El Calafate, Patagonia. Over the past 30 years, the average summer temperature rose by 1.2C, a change significant enough to greatly accelerate ice melt. Ice thickness measurements are equally alarming. Between 2018 and 2022, the glacier was thinning at a rate of 4 metres a year. But in the past two years, that has doubled to 8 metres annually. 'Perito Moreno's size no longer matches the current climate; it's simply too big. It can't withstand the heat, and the current ice input isn't enough to compensate,' Ruiz said. Ice that once rested on the lakebed owing to its weight, said Ruiz, had now thinned so much that it was beginning to float, as water pressure overtook the ice's own. With that anchor lost, the glacier's front accelerates – not because of increased mass input from the accumulation zone, where snow compacts into ice, but because the front slides and deforms. This movement triggers a feedback loop that further weakens the structure, making the process potentially irreversible. Xabier Blanch Gorriz, a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, who studies ice calving at the Perito Moreno glacier front, said: 'Describing the change as 'irreversible' is complex, because glaciers are dynamic systems. But the truth is that the current rate of retreat points to a clearly negative trend.' He added: 'The glacier's retreat and thinning are evident and have accelerated.' Ruiz confirmed another disturbing trend reported by local guides: calving events are becoming louder, more frequent, and much larger. In April, a guide at Los Glaciares national park described watching a tower of ice the height of a 20-storey building collapse into the lake. 'It's only in the last four to six years that we've started seeing icebergs this size,' he told Reuters. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion In January of this year, Blanch Gorriz and his team installed eight photogrammetric systems that capture images every 30 minutes, enabling the generation of 3D models of about 300 metres of the glacier front. Initial comparisons between December and June already reveal significant ice loss. Satellite images further highlight a striking retreat over just 100 days. Today, nothing seems capable of halting the glacier's retreat. Only a series of cooler summers and wetter winters might slow the trend, but climate projections point in the opposite direction. 'What we expect is that, at some point, Perito Moreno will lose contact with the Magallanes peninsula, which has historically acted as a stabilising buttress and slowed the glacier's response to climate change. When that happens, we'll likely see a catastrophic retreat to a new equilibrium position, farther back in the narrow valley,' said Ruiz. Such a shift would represent a 'new configuration' of the glacier, raising scientific questions about how this natural wonder would behave in the future. 'It will be something never seen before – even farther back than what the first researchers documented in the late 19th century,' Ruiz nadded. How long the glacier might hold that future position remains unknown. But what scientists do know is that the valley, unlike the Magallanes peninsula, would not be able to hold the glacier in place. Perito Moreno – Latin America's most iconic glacier and part of a Unesco world heritage site since 1981 – now joins a regrettable local trend: its neighbours, the Upsala and Viedma glaciers, have retreated at an astonishing rate over the past two decades. It is also part of a global pattern in which, as Ruiz put it, humanity is 'digging the grave' of the world's glaciers.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
‘It can't withstand the heat': fears ‘stable' Patagonia glacier in irreversible decline
One of the few stable glaciers in a warming world, Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, is now undergoing a possibly irreversible retreat, scientists say. Over the past seven years, it has lost 1.92 sq km (0.74 sq miles) of ice cover and its thickness is decreasing by up to 8 metres (26 ft) a year. For decades, Perito Moreno defied the global trend of glacial retreat, maintaining an exceptional balance between snow accumulation and melting. Its dramatic calving events, when massive blocks of ice crashed into Lago Argentino, became a symbol of natural wonder, drawing millions of visitors to southern Patagonia. Dr Lucas Ruiz, a glaciologist at the Argentine Institute of Nivology, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences, said: 'The Perito Moreno is a very particular, exceptional glacier. Since records began, it stood out to the first explorers in the late 19th century because it showed no signs of retreat – on the contrary, it was advancing. And it continued to do so until 2018, when we began to see a different behaviour. Since then, its mass loss has become increasingly rapid.' Scientists and local guides warn that the balance is beginning to shift. 'The first year the glacier didn't return to its previous year's position was 2022. The same happened in 2023, again in 2024, and now in 2025. The truth is, the retreat continues. The glacier keeps thinning, especially along its northern margin,' said Ruiz. This sector is the farthest from tourist walkways and lies above the deepest part of Lago Argentino, the largest freshwater lake in Argentina. The summer of 2023-24 recorded a maximum temperature of 11.2C, according to meteorological data collected by Pedro Skvarca, a geophysical engineer and the scientific director of the Glaciarium centre in El Calafate, Patagonia. Over the past 30 years, the average summer temperature rose by 1.2C, a change significant enough to greatly accelerate ice melt. Ice thickness measurements are equally alarming. Between 2018 and 2022, the glacier was thinning at a rate of 4 metres a year. But in the past two years, that has doubled to 8 metres annually. 'Perito Moreno's size no longer matches the current climate; it's simply too big. It can't withstand the heat, and the current ice input isn't enough to compensate,' Ruiz said. Ice that once rested on the lakebed owing to its weight, said Ruiz, had now thinned so much that it was beginning to float, as water pressure overtook the ice's own. With that anchor lost, the glacier's front accelerates – not because of increased mass input from the accumulation zone, where snow compacts into ice, but because the front slides and deforms. This movement triggers a feedback loop that further weakens the structure, making the process potentially irreversible. Xabier Blanch Gorriz, a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, who studies ice calving at the Perito Moreno glacier front, said: 'Describing the change as 'irreversible' is complex, because glaciers are dynamic systems. But the truth is that the current rate of retreat points to a clearly negative trend.' He added: 'The glacier's retreat and thinning are evident and have accelerated.' Ruiz confirmed another disturbing trend reported by local guides: calving events are becoming louder, more frequent, and much larger. In April, a guide at Los Glaciares national park described watching a tower of ice the height of a 20-storey building collapse into the lake. 'It's only in the last four to six years that we've started seeing icebergs this size,' he told Reuters. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion In January of this year, Blanch Gorriz and his team installed eight photogrammetric systems that capture images every 30 minutes, enabling the generation of 3D models of about 300 metres of the glacier front. Initial comparisons between December and June already reveal significant ice loss. Satellite images further highlight a striking retreat over just 100 days. Today, nothing seems capable of halting the glacier's retreat. Only a series of cooler summers and wetter winters might slow the trend, but climate projections point in the opposite direction. 'What we expect is that, at some point, Perito Moreno will lose contact with the Magallanes peninsula, which has historically acted as a stabilising buttress and slowed the glacier's response to climate change. When that happens, we'll likely see a catastrophic retreat to a new equilibrium position, farther back in the narrow valley,' said Ruiz. Such a shift would represent a 'new configuration' of the glacier, raising scientific questions about how this natural wonder would behave in the future. 'It will be something never seen before – even farther back than what the first researchers documented in the late 19th century,' Ruiz nadded. How long the glacier might hold that future position remains unknown. But what scientists do know is that the valley, unlike the Magallanes peninsula, would not be able to hold the glacier in place. Perito Moreno – Latin America's most iconic glacier and part of a Unesco world heritage site since 1981 – now joins a regrettable local trend: its neighbours, the Upsala and Viedma glaciers, have retreated at an astonishing rate over the past two decades. It is also part of a global pattern in which, as Ruiz put it, humanity is 'digging the grave' of the world's glaciers.
News18
19-05-2025
- Science
- News18
Why The Crumbling Of Argentina's Iconic Glacier Is A Cause Of Concern
Last Updated: Experts say Perito Moreno in Argentina has maintained its mass for decades. But accumulation of icebergs over the past few years has been a cause of concern for glaciologists Argentina's iconic Perito Moreno glacier became a sight of awe and concern when a block of ice some 70 meters (230 ft) tall, the size of a 20-story building, collapsed into the blue waters of Lake Argentina. Several tourists had gathered to witness the view of the glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in the southern province of Santa Cruz, which is shrinking quickly due to global warming. Why The Breaking Off Of The Glacier Is Alarming The breaking off of the glacier, called 'calving", has been keeping glaciologists worried as Perito Moreno, for decades, has been maintaining its mass even as warmer climates spurred faster glacial melting worldwide. On the latest event, which took place on April 21, Pablo Quinteros, an official tourist guide at Los Glaciares National Park, told Reuters, 'Ice calving events of this size haven't been very common at the Perito Moreno glacier over the past 20 years… It's only in the last four to six years that we've started to see icebergs this big." Argentine glaciologist Lucas Ruiz with state science body CONICET, whose research focus is the future of Patagonian glaciers in the face of climate change, said, 'It had been in more or less the same position for the past 80 years. And that's unusual." 'However, since 2020, signs of retreat have begun to be seen in some parts of the Perito Moreno glacier's face," said Ruiz, as quoted by Reuters. He said the glacier could rebound as it has done before, but that for the moment it was losing between one and two meters of water equivalent per year, which if not reversed could lead to a situation where the loss accelerates. A 2024 state-supported report, co-authored by glaciologist Lucas Ruiz, revealed that although Perito Moreno maintained a stable mass for nearly 50 years, the most significant and long-lasting ice loss has occurred since 2015. On average, it has lost around 0.85 metres of mass per year over this recent period, the fastest rate in the past 47 years. Scientists monitoring Perito Moreno say they have detected a slight but steady increase in air temperatures in the area, approximately 0.06°C per decade. At the same time, precipitation has decreased, which means less snowfall and, therefore, less new ice forming at the glacier's top. Meanwhile, melting and calving have increased at the base. This imbalance, less accumulation above and more melting below has not only caused thinning of the glacier but has also led to its shrinking. What Do We Know About The Perito Moreno Glacier? The glacier was born in the Patagonian Continental Ice, which is the largest ice field in the world after Antarctica. It is located near the city of El Calafate in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The Perito Moreno originates at just 1,500 metres above sea level and the front is located at 200 metres above sea level, making it accessible to visit. It is 50 km long and descends to Lake Argentino. Its frontage is 5 km and about 60 m high above the water level. The surface of the glacier is 250 km2, a little more than the surface of the City of Buenos Aires. In 1881, the Boundary Treaty was signed between Argentina and Chile and it was determined that since it was located to the east of the Andes mountain range and its slope towards the Atlantic Ocean, the glacier remained under Argentine sovereignty. The 'White Giant' comes under the Los Glaciares National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What Is Glacial Melting? Glacial melting is the process in which lass masses of ice lose mass, turning into water due to rising temperature or changes in environmental conditions. Calving happens when ice break off from glacier's edge, forming icebergs or smaller ice fragments. The process erodes the glacier's base. Some of the causes of glacial melting include: Climate Change: Rising global temperatures, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, have increased air and water temperatures, accelerating surface and basal melting. Reduced Snowfall: Less snow accumulation in colder months fails to replenish ice lost during warmer periods. Black Carbon and Pollutants: Soot and other particles settle on glaciers, reducing their reflectivity and absorbing more heat, speeding up melting. Geographic Factors: Glaciers in warmer regions or those with unstable bedrock are more prone to rapid melting. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : glacier News18 Explains Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 19, 2025, 13:31 IST News explainers Why The Crumbling Of Argentina's Iconic Glacier Is A Cause Of Concern | Explained
Al Etihad
16-05-2025
- Science
- Al Etihad
Huge ice falls at Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier stir awe and concern
16 May 2025 23:34 PERITO MORENO GLACIER, Argentina (Reuters) The deep cracking sound bursting from within the ice signals the dramatic fall about to happen. Seconds later, a block of ice some 70 metres tall - the size of a 20-story building - collapses from the face of the Perito Moreno glacier into the aquamarine water sight has attracted visitors to Argentina's most famous glacier for years. Standing on platforms facing the ice, they wait for the next crack to split the cool Patagonian recently the size of the ice chunks breaking off - a process called "calving" - has been starting to alarm local guides and glaciologists, already anxious at a prolonged retreat by Perito Moreno, which had bucked the trend in recent decades by maintaining its mass even as warmer climates spurred faster glacial melting worldwide."Ice calving events of this size haven't been very common at the Perito Moreno glacier over the past 20 years," said Pablo Quinteros, an official tourist guide at Los Glaciares National Park in the southern province of Santa Cruz."It's only in the last four to six years that we've started to see icebergs this big," he told Reuters during a visit in face of the glacier, which flows down from Andean peaks to end in the waters of Lake Argentina, had for decades held more or less steady, some years advancing and others retreating. But in the last five years, there's been a firmer retreat."It had been in more or less the same position for the past 80 years. And that's unusual," said Argentine glaciologist Lucas Ruiz with the state science body CONICET, whose research focus is the future of Patagonian glaciers in the face of climate change."However, since 2020, signs of retreat have begun to be seen in some parts of the Perito Moreno glacier's face." He said that the glacier could rebound as it has done before, but that for the moment it was losing between one and two meters of water equivalent per year, which, if not reversed, could lead to a situation where the loss accelerates.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Why Argentina's surprise tourist attraction is falling apart
The deep crack echoes through the Patagonian air, a prelude to the dramatic spectacle about to unfold. Seconds later, a colossal block of ice, equivalent to a 20-story building, shears off the Perito Moreno glacier, plunging 70 meters into the turquoise water below. This breathtaking scene has drawn visitors to Argentina's iconic glacier for years, where they stand on viewing platforms, anticipating the next thunderous calving event. However, the sheer size of these recently breaking ice chunks is causing concern among local guides and glaciologists. Perito Moreno has long defied the global trend of glacial retreat, maintaining its mass despite rising global temperatures. Now, alarm bells are ringing. "Ice calving events of this size haven't been very common at the Perito Moreno glacier over the past 20 years," said Pablo Quinteros, an official tourist guide at Los Glaciares National Park in the southern province of Santa Cruz. "It's only in the last four to six years that we've started to see icebergs this big," he told Reuters during a visit in April. The face of the glacier, which flows down from Andean peaks to end in the waters of Lake Argentina, had for decades held more or less steady, some years advancing and others retreating. But in the last five years, there's been a firmer retreat. "It had been in more or less the same position for the past 80 years. And that's unusual," said Argentine glaciologist Lucas Ruiz with state science body CONICET, whose research focus is the future of Patagonian glaciers in the face of climate change. "However, since 2020, signs of retreat have begun to be seen in some parts of the Perito Moreno glacier's face." He said that the glacier could rebound as it has done before, but that for the moment it was losing between one and two meters of water equivalent per year. If not reversed, that could lead to a situation where the loss accelerates. A state-backed 2024 report, co-authored by Ruiz and presented to Argentina's Congress, showed that while Perito Moreno's mass has been overall stable for half a century, the period since 2015 has seen the fastest and most prolonged loss of mass in 47 years, on average losing 0.85 meters per year. Glaciers around the globe are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the largest glacial mass loss on record, according to a UNESCO report in March. Ruiz said instruments his research team used to monitor the glacier had shown an increase in air temperature in the area of around 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade and precipitation decreasing, meaning less accumulation of snow and ice. "The thing with Perito Moreno is that it took a while, so to speak, to feel the effects of climate change," Ruiz said. Now, however, the accumulation of ice at the top of the glacier was being outpaced by melting and calving at the bottom. "The changes we are seeing today clearly show that this balance of forces... has been disrupted, and today the glacier is losing both in thickness and area." For now, the glacier remains an awe-inspiring attraction for travelers, who board boats to see the calving and the huge icebergs floating around the lake up close. "It's insane. The most incredible thing I've ever seen," said Brazilian tourist Giovanna Machado on the deck of one of the boats, which have to be careful of sudden ice falls. "Even in photos, you just can't grasp the immensity of it, and it's perfect. It's amazing. I think everyone should come here at least once in their lifetime."
