Antarctica - November 04, 2025 Eastern Antarctic Peninsula – Hektoria Glacier on the Eastern Antarctic Peninsula has suffered the fastest recorded ice loss in modern history, according to a new study published in Nature Geoscience. The research reveals that the glacier lost nearly half its length—eight kilometres of ice—in just two months during 2023, a pace comparable to dramatic retreats at the end of the last ice age. Led by the University of Colorado Boulder, the international team—including Swansea glaciologist Professor Adrian Luckman—found the retreat was accelerated by the shape of the land beneath the glacier. Hektoria rested on an ice plain, a flat stretch of bedrock below sea level, which caused large sections of ice to break away in rapid succession once retreat began. Although Hektoria Glacier is relatively small by Antarctic standards, covering 115 square miles, its swift collapse serves as a stark warning. Professor Luckman said: “Glaciers don’t usually retreat this fast. The circumstances may be a little particular, but this scale of ice loss shows what may happen elsewhere in Antarctica, where glaciers are lightly grounded and sea ice loses its grip.” The study tracked the glacier’s collapse using satellite imagery and seismic data, identifying multiple grounding lines and recording glacier earthquakes—small tremors caused by sudden ice movement. Dr Ted Scambos, senior research scientist at CU Boulder, added: “This kind of lightning-fast retreat really changes what’s possible for other, larger glaciers on the continent. If the same conditions are set up in some of the other areas, it could greatly speed up sea level rise from the continent.” Scientists say the findings highlight the urgent need for continued monitoring and international collaboration to understand the future of Earth’s frozen regions and the potential impacts on global sea levels.