Rapid Antarctic glacier retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit'

A new study suggests that changes to Hektoria Glacier are unprecedented - but not all scientists agree.

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Hektoria Glacier retreated by more than 8km (5 miles) in just two months in late 2022 - and now a new study claims to have the answer.

The authors believe that Hektoria could be the first modern example of a process where the front of a glacier resting on the seabed rapidly destabilises.

That could lead to much faster sea-level rise if it happened elsewhere in Antarctica, they say.

But other scientists argue that this part of the glacier was actually floating in the ocean – so while the changes are impressive, they are not so unusual.