Description

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Context

The Perito Moreno (Spanish: Glaciar Perito Moreno), Francisco Gormaz, or Bismarck Glacier is a glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, which originated in the Magallanes Region of Chile.

About Perito Moreno Glacier

Location	Near El Calafate, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Nickname	The ‘White Giant’
Size	Approximately 250 square kilometres
Formation	Formed during the last Ice Age, around 18,000 years ago
UNESCO Status	Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981
Ice Calving Events	Natural process where ice chunks break off into water; tourist spectacle since 1917
Recent Ice Calving Trend	Since 2020, larger and more frequent ice calving events have been observed
Mass Loss	Glacier has been losing an average of 0.85 metres per year since 2015
Environmental Concerns	Indicates potential instability, with threats to local ecosystems and global sea levels

Climate Change's Consequences

Global warming is the primary cause of the glacier's retreat. Air temperatures in the region have increased by an average of 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade. This increase results in a decrease in the accumulation of snow and ice, which exacerbates the glacier's mass loss. Many glaciers worldwide are experiencing comparable destinies, as experts caution that the Perito Moreno glacier is not an isolated instance.

Global Context of Glacier Retreat

The Perito Moreno glacier is a component of a more extensive global trend of glacier retreat. Over the past 25 years, research has shown that glaciers have lost an estimated 273 billion tonnes of ice annually.
This loss is a contributing factor to the increasing sea levels, which pose a threat to coastal communities.
A UNESCO report revealed that glaciers have lost more than 9,000 billion tonnes of mass since 1975, which is equivalent to an enormous ice block the size of Germany.

Importance of Glacier Monitoring

It is imperative to monitor glaciers such as Perito Moreno in order to comprehend the effects of climate change. They are crucial indicators of environmental health and offer critical information regarding the future availability of water. The ecosystems and human societies may be significantly affected by the ongoing alterations in these ice formations.

Soure: Indianexpress

Practice Question:

Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Perito Moreno Glacier:

It is located in the Andes Mountains near El Calafate in Argentina.
The glacier has been consistently retreating since its formation during the last Ice Age.
It is a significant source of freshwater and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ice calving, a process where ice chunks break off, is a recent phenomenon first observed in 2000.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 – Correct: It is located near El Calafate in Argentina, in the Andes region.
Statement 2 – Incorrect: The glacier was historically stable and has shown signs of retreat only recently (not consistently since the Ice Age).
Statement 3 – Correct: It is a significant freshwater source and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.
Statement 4 – Incorrect: Ice calving events have been observed since at least 1917, not just after 2000.