In a surprising discovery, scientists have observed a glacier in West Antarctica rapidly diverting ice from its neighboring glacier, a phenomenon dubbed “ice piracy.” This significant shift, previously believed to occur over millennia, has occurred in less than two decades.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Leeds and published in The Cryosphere, utilised data from ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 and CryoSat missions. They found that the fast-moving Kohler East Glacier has been siphoning ice from the adjacent, slower-moving Kohler West Glacier. This redirection is attributed to differing thinning rates between the glaciers, causing a change in flow direction and leading to the rapid transfer of ice.
This discovery underscores the dynamic nature of glacier interactions, and it is the outcome of research activities carried out in the context of the ESA Polar Science Cluster, including the Polar+ Ice Shelf project.
Read the full story on ESA EO pages.