Research shows glaciers on Heard Island, Australia, shrank nearly 25% over 70 years. Aerial photographs and satellite data indicate the island warmed by 0.7C since 1947. Glaciers retreated rapidly, particularly Stephenson glacier, which has moved back nearly 6km since 1947. The average annual retreat of the glacier in the last two decades was 178 meters. Losses were even more pronounced on the neighbouring Laurens peninsula, where glacial coverage shrank from 10.5 sq km to 2.2 sq km. Global heating is linked to these dramatic changes, highlighting climate change's pervasive impact.
Between 1947 and 2019, the area covered by glacial ice on Heard Island fell from 289 sq km to 225 sq km, marking a significant loss.
On the Laurens peninsula, glacial ice coverage plummeted from 10.5 sq km in 1947 to just 2.2 sq km in 2019, showcasing alarming glacier retreat.
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