Photo: Henryk Glacier on the Arctowski Peninsula (Antarctica) opposite Danco Island has a noteworthy cirque at the head, by David Stanley from Naniamo, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
by Junior Journalist Keyona Gray
In 2017, a team of scientists set out on a trip to Antarctica to study one of the largest glaciers in the world—Larsen C. Glaciers are giant sheets of ice that move slowly over land, and they hold a lot of Earth’s fresh water. The team had been watching Larsen C for years, noticing deep cracks forming across its surface.
What they saw that year shocked the world.
In July 2017, a chunk of the glacier—over 2,200 square miles, nearly the size of Delaware—broke off and floated into the ocean. It was one of the largest icebergs ever recorded.
The scientists weren’t surprised because it happened quickly, but because it was part of a pattern. Around the world, glaciers and ice sheets are melting faster than ever before. Places like Greenland, Antarctica, and mountain ranges across the world are losing ice due to a warming climate.
The cause? Human activity—burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas—sends gases like carbon dioxide into the air. These gases trap heat and warm the planet, including the oceans. As oceans get warmer, they melt the bottom of the glaciers, making them weaker and more likely to break apart.
The Larsen C iceberg drifted out into the ocean. Over time, it melted. That melting adds more water to the seas, which can cause sea levels to rise and threaten coastal cities.
But there’s hope, too. Scientists, young people, and communities around the world are working to protect the planet by using cleaner energy, planting trees, and finding new ways to take care of the only Earth we have.
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