Indeed, Pine Island’s ice has been flowing out to sea faster since the 1990s, with the ice stream now moving at a rate exceeding 35 feet per day, according to Drinkwater. As Pine Island’s ice shelf weakens, so does this buttressing force, which can hasten the flow of ice from the land. However, outlet glaciers like Pine Island act as a brake on the flow of land-bound ice, which does raise sea levels as it empties into the sea. It’s also in line with the bigger picture of climate change.Ĭalving events like this don’t contribute to sea level rise directly, because floating ice shelves are already displacing water. That, in turn, is related to shifting wind patterns that are pushing warm, deep ocean water onto the continental shelf.
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The recent breakup, which was bigger than those in 20 but smaller than iceberg calvings in the early 2000s, according to Wouters, might have been partly driven by mild weather last winter.īut as with other recent calvings at Pine Island and other West Antarctic glaciers, the primary driver was the influx of warm subsurface water into the Amundsen Sea Embayment, which is causing ice to melt from below. “Although iceberg ‘calving’ from floating Antarctic ice shelves is a natural, ongoing process, the recent calving event of Pine Island Glacier was particularly large and such calving events from this glacier appear to be becoming more frequent,” says Alison Banwell, a glaciologist at CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder. “The events of the past five to 10 years seem to be exceptional for the area compared to the retreat in the past 70 years,” Bert Wouters, a satellite remote sensing expert at TU Delft in the Netherlands who has been monitoring Pine Island Glacier closely, writes in an email.
The intervals between the events seem to be getting shorter, another symptom of the glacier’s unhealthy state. The latest calving event is the seventh of the past century for Pine Island, with prior calvings occurring in 2001, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018, according to Copernicus. Since 2012, the glacier has been shedding 58 billion tons of ice a year, making the biggest single contribution to global sea level rise of any ice stream on the planet. Pine Island is Antarctica’s most vulnerable. Glaciers are frozen rivers that channel larger, land-bound ice sheets into the ocean. “What is unsettling is that the daily data stream reveals the dramatic pace at which climate is redefining the face of Antarctica,” said Mark Drinkwater, senior scientist and cryosphere specialist at the European Space Agency, in a press release. With temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula spiking to a record 65 degrees Fahrenheit last week, the signs of rapid transformation are becoming difficult to ignore. Continue to explore our website for detailed information about our unique Island and the businesses that will make you want to stay.Pine Island Glacier Spawns Piglets Credit: European Space Agency, ESAįor Pine Island, it’s the latest in a string of dramatic calving events that scientists fear may be the prelude to an even larger disintegration as climate change thaws the frozen continent. Dine in one of our wonderful fresh seafood restaurants, and stay in our charming accommodations. Enjoy shopping in our fine art galleries and specialty shops. Home to many artists, authors, song writers and poets. Hiking trails, kayak and canoe waterways, ancient Indian shell mounds will add to your outdoor adventures. The waters of Pine Island Sound provide not only some of the finest fishing in Florida, but are a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers. We’re just 15 minutes from Cape Coral and 30 minutes from Fort Myers, but our secluded, small-town atmosphere is a world apart! Surrounded by mangroves, three aquatic preserves, acres of palms, tropical plants, and fruit groves we have escaped the cement and skyscraper development so predominant on other Florida islands. Pine Island is the largest island (18 miles long, 2 miles wide with five unique communities) off Florida’s Southwestern Gulf coast. Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce is proud to represent over 100 businesses in our little corner of paradise and would like to introduce you to our island and the businesses that call it home.
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Many of our businesses have already re-opened, and others are opening soon. However, Island businesses and residents are resilient and strong. Pine Island and Matlacha suffered many losses due to Hurricane Ian.
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