Antarctica’s Hektoria Glacier stunned scientists by retreating eight kilometers in just two months, with nearly half of it collapsing in record time. The rapid breakup was driven by a flat, underwater bedrock surface that allowed the glacier to suddenly float and fracture from below. Satellite and seismic data captured the dramatic chain reaction in near real time. The findings raise concerns that much larger glaciers could one day collapse just as quickly.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/c/earthscience/p/1823671/antarctica-just-saw-the-fastest-glacier-collapse-ever-recorded

Antarctica’s Hektoria Glacier stunned scientists by retreating eight kilometers in just two months, with nearly half of it collapsing in record time. The rapid breakup was driven by a flat, underwater bedrock surface that allowed the glacier to suddenly float and fracture from below. Satellite and seismic data captured the dramatic chain reaction in near real time. The findings raise concerns that much larger glaciers could one day collapse just as quickly.

  • Jo Miran@lemmy.mlEnglish
    151·
    8 hours ago

    What we are going to do is build thousands of more datacenters while all that fresh galcier water changes the salinity of the oceans and raises sea levels.

    Can we do something? Yes. Should we do something? Obviously. Will we? Doubt. Will the majority of humans currently alive today have to contend with the impact of climate change at ever increasing severities for the rest of our lives, regardless of what actions we take today? Almost assuredly. Any environmental work we do (and should do) today is for the benefit of future generations, not our own. We are so fucked.

    This isn’t doomerism. It is realism that goes counter to blind optimism. It also doesn’t change the fact that we’ve got to get to work.