Research has shown that the cause of such rapid destruction is the flat rocky foundation beneath the glacier. During the melting process, extensive areas of ice detached from the bottom and floated to the ocean surface. Once afloat, the ice was subjected to powerful oceanic forces, leading to the formation of cracks connecting the base of the glacier to its surface. This triggered a chain reaction, resulting in the massive calving of icebergs. Seismic sensors recorded tremors confirming the moment when the ice separated from the rocky foundation. By using data from several satellites, scientists were able to reconstruct the sequence of events in which the glacier lost up to two and a half kilometers in just 48 hours on certain days.
The Hector Glacier, although relatively small — its area is about 300 square kilometers, comparable to the size of Philadelphia — poses a serious threat. Scientists are concerned that similar flat foundations have been discovered beneath several other Antarctic glaciers that are significantly larger. If a similar scenario occurs there, the consequences for rising sea levels could be much more severe than previously thought.
