The Perito Moreno Glacier, a 30 km long outlet of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Argentina, has been considered unusually stable among Patagonian glaciers, exhibiting almost no retreat between 2000 and 2019. In this paper we present our findings of an acceleration in ice loss since 2019, with retreat exceeding 800 m in some areas and a 16-fold increase in thinning rates at the terminus, from 0.34 m yr⁻¹ (2000–2019) to 5.5 m yr⁻¹ (2019–2024). Using helicopter-borne radar surveys in March 2022 and bathymetric mapping of the proglacial lake, integrated with satellite-derived surface height and velocity data, we identify a prominent subglacial ridge beneath the glacier terminus that likely sustained its prior stability. Current thinning trends suggest imminent detachment from this ridge, which would trigger rapid multi-kilometre retreat into a deep basin, promoting further mass loss via calving.
Publication available on: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02515-7
The Perito Moreno Glacier, a 30 km long outlet of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Argentina, has been considered unusually stable among Patagonian glaciers, exhibiting almost no retreat between 2000 and 2019. In this paper we present our findings of an acceleration in ice loss since 2019, with retreat exceeding 800 m in some areas and a 16-fold increase in thinning rates at the terminus, from 0.34 m yr⁻¹ (2000–2019) to 5.5 m yr⁻¹ (2019–2024). Using helicopter-borne radar surveys in March 2022 and bathymetric mapping of the proglacial lake, integrated with satellite-derived surface height and velocity data, we identify a prominent subglacial ridge beneath the glacier terminus that likely sustained its prior stability. Current thinning trends suggest imminent detachment from this ridge, which would trigger rapid multi-kilometre retreat into a deep basin, promoting further mass loss via calving.
Publication available on: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02515-7