An imposing block of ice about 70 meters high, the equivalent of a 20 -storey building, has melted and fell from the Perito Moreno glacier, one of the most emblematic natural icons of Argentine Patagonia. What was once considered a natural and rare phenomenon, today is repeated with greater frequency and intensity.
The massive detachments such as the one documented in recent videos are no longer just breathtaking tourist attractions: they clearly reflect the increasingly faster effects of global warming. And we should do something.
An “balance” glacier that is giving way
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Until recently, the Moreno expert was considered an exception in the global panorama: one of the few glaciers “in balance”, which did not show evident signs of regression. But the data are clear: between 2016 and 2023 he lost 700 meters of mass on the north margin, marking the largest retreat of the last 47 years.
According to BBC News Mundo, the current behavior of the glacier is anomalous. Historically, the Moreno expert has maintained a certain stability both in terms of mass and progress, unlike most glaciers in the world. The collapse of such large portions could be the sign of unusual internal pressure in its structure.
An alarm that we cannot ignore
Even if the collapses of the Moreno expert are cyclical phenomena known for their natural beauty, this event in particular has made an alarm bell sound among the experts of glaciology and climate change.
Climatologists warn that the increase in temperatures in the Andina Patagonian region is accelerating processes that once required centuries. These phenomena not only put the scientific community in difficulty, but interpeate each of us.
The Moreno expert is talking to us. And what is telling us is that the time of exceptions is ending: even the “resistant” glaciers are giving way. It’s time to listen and act.
