(MENAFN) An Antarctic glacier experienced an unprecedented loss of nearly half its length in just two months — marking the fastest recorded retreat — according to a study released Monday in Nature Geoscience.

The investigation revealed that the Hektoria Glacier, situated on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula, receded approximately 8.2 kilometers (5 miles) between November and December 2022.

Over a longer period, the glacier contracted nearly 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) in total from January 2022 to March 2023.

Scientists explained that the rapid retreat was not caused by oceanic or atmospheric warming, as previously believed, but resulted from a swift collapse triggered by a phenomenon called ice plain calving — a process where ice detaches from a flat, weakly anchored section of a glacier.

The research indicates that glaciers located on these so-called ice plains may be considerably less stable than earlier thought.

Experts cautioned that similar mechanisms could make other Antarctic glaciers prone to sudden collapses, potentially leading to significant impacts on global sea levels.

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