Antarctica just saw the fastest glacier collapse ever recorded
Science Daily
February 26, 2026
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Antarctica's Hektoria Glacier experienced an unprecedented collapse in 2023, retreating nearly eight kilometers in just two months—a record-breaking event that left scientists astonished. The study, led by the University of Colorado Boulder and published in *Nature Geoscience*, revealed that a flat, underwater bedrock surface beneath the glacier played a critical role in its rapid disintegration. As the ice thinned, it lifted off the seabed and began floating, triggering a chain reaction of fractures and calving events that ultimately caused nearly half of the glacier to collapse within weeks.
The research highlights how the unique topography of the glacier's bedrock contributed to this sudden breakup. Hektoria Glacier rests on what is known as an "ice plain," a flat stretch of bedrock below sea level. This configuration allowed large portions of the glacier to float and break apart almost simultaneously when it thinned enough. Once afloat, ocean forces exacerbated the fracturing process, with cracks forming along the base and connecting to surface fractures, leading to extensive ice loss.
Satellite data provided near real-time insights into the dramatic events, capturing the rapid retreat and calving process in detail. By analyzing multiple datasets, researchers were able to reconstruct the sequence of events, revealing that the glacier lost significant ice within just two days—a timeframe that would have been difficult to detect without frequent satellite observations. Seismic instruments also detected "glacier earthquakes," confirming that the glacier had transitioned from being firmly grounded to floating.
This study underscores the importance of understanding how glaciers interact with their underlying bedrock and ocean conditions. While Hektoria is relatively small, covering about 115 square miles, larger glaciers in similar ice plain environments could collapse just as quickly, leading to significant sea level rise if they retreat rapidly. The findings raise concerns about the stability of other Antarctic glaciers and emphasize the need for further research to identify those most vulnerable to such rapid collapse.
The discovery at Hektoria Glacier not only advances our understanding of glacial dynamics but also serves as a wake-up call for global climate science. If larger glaciers were to collapse similarly, the implications for coastal communities and ecosystems would be severe. As Naomi Ochwat, lead author of the study, noted, the
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Originally published on Science Daily on 2/26/2026