Mauri Pelto

Steffen Glacier, Northern Patagonia Icefield has retreated 3.75 km from Oct. 2023 (black arrow) to Oct. 2025 (yellow arrow). This produced many new icebergs including iceberg X. Laguan de Los Tempanos (T) has also partially drained.
More details at: glacierchange.blog/2024/04/21/s...

This is not a climate compatible set of outcomes.

Southern Patagonia Icefield glaciers HPS38 separates into northern and southern arm in 10-26-2025 Sentinel 2 image. This glacier is on west side of the icefield adjacent to Tyndall Glacier to the east that has had a recent rapid calving retreat.
glacierchange.blog/2023/04/18/t...

Hofsjolkull East, Iceland is a small ice cap east of Vatnajokull that lost all snow cover again in 2025. The lack of accumulation area leads to rapid thinning, bedrock expansion and indicates a glacier that cannot survive. #glaciology
glacierchange.blog/2025/09/22/h...

And another from Smithsonian-on the new island in Alaska revealed by glacier retreat that we reported on last week.
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/g...

Retreating Alsek Glacier reveals new island in southeast Alaska A retreating glacier has revealed a new island in Alaska, as lake water filled in to surround a land mass once hugged by ice. Glaciologist Mauri S.

Another view on our Alsek Glacier, Alaska new island formation research.
apnews.com/article/alas...

Fidtjovbreen and Gonfjordbreen, two adjacent glaciers in Svalbard lost all snow cover in 2024 and 2025. You can walk 15 km from terminus upglacier to the divide and down the other glacier to the terminus without touching any snow, which sustains glaciers.
@drheidisevestre.bsky.social
#glaciology

Svalbard Ice Cap Fragmentation and RecessionAccelerates with Snow Free Conditions Again in 2025 Kvitkapa in Landsat images from 2014 and 2025 indicating the fragmentation from 3 to 8 different glacier parts. In 2022, 2023 and 2024 a number of ice caps and glaciers across Svalbard lost all sno…

2022-2025 ice caps across Edgoya, Svalbard lost all snow cover, resulting all firn cover being lost too. This removes ability of meltwater to refreeze. In 2025 we again see this playing out on the ice caps of Edgeøya. @yogaski.bsky.social @willharcourt.bsky.social glacierchange.blog/2025/09/11/s...

Two people in bright jackets stand on vast, white sea ice scattered with numerous blue melt ponds, creating a striking contrast against the pristine Arctic ice.

From sun-blocking chemicals to thickening sea ice 🧊🌊

Researchers have found five geoengineering ideas to tackle climate breakdown, but found these are unlikely to work, could harm ecosystems, and may reduce our chances of reaching net zero.

Read more 👉 tr.ee/6jto7T

@frontiersin.bsky.social

Worked with Lindsey Doermann at NASA Earth Observatory on article about new island in Alaska created by Alsek Glacier retreat, revealed by a sequence of Landsat images from 1984 to 2025.
earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/15476...
#glaciology

Stonebreen an ice cap on Edgeoya, Svalbard in recent years has lost nearly all snow/firn cover, retaining no accumulation. This has led to retreat from 2020-2025, indicated on the false color Sentinel images. The bare ice surface is darker and can no longer retain any meltwater.
#glaciology

It seems to me watching how the field has changed in last 45 years, that it did attract the eccentric type when is was a newer field. Starting in the 1990s as it became a mainstream science, that becam less the case.

Both men were eccentric.

I was working in Terry Hughes office 5 years later when John Mercer called in.

I was at a glaciologist meeting in 1986 at Whistler where we were planning upcoming work on Jakobshavn Isbrae all convinced that acceleration and thinning was not that far off.

Let’s start with the effect of climate on ice sheets. Ice sheets are driven by climate but the Antarctic ice sheet is cold and there is little surface melt. Most of what we see in Antarctica relates to the oceans eroding floating ice shelves from beneath. 2/

Great thread, I am sure there are more items you thought of including. Such as once there is significant melting of the ice by the ocean, how does that meltwater in turn impact local ocean stratification and further interactions.

What is ~depth, length and width of this crevasse?

Prándarjökull, Iceland Loses all Snow Cover in 2025-Accelerating Loss Prándarjökull on August 20, 2025 has no retained snowpack-with weeks left in the melt season (Sentinel false color image) Prándarjökull is an icecap northeast of Vatnajokull that has a summit eleva…

Prándarjökull, Iceland has lost all of its snow cover in 2025. This will lead to significant thinning and marginal losses in 2025. #glaciology #climatechange
glacierchange.blog/2025/08/25/p...

The retreat of Alsek Glacier, Alaska has in 2025 generated a new island-Prow Knob in Alsek Lake-that has an area of 5 km2. In 1984 the knob was nearly encircled by the glacier. As these Landsat images reveal the loss ofconnection between the glacier and the knob at the end of July/early Aug. 2025.

Must watch: Really excellent piece on the work of @mauri-pelto.bsky.social @jillpelto.bsky.social by Ben Tracy and @climatecentral.org for @cbssundaymorning.bsky.social

Thanks Sarah, I know this is a focus you have had as well, and that has inspired me. We generally have 3-4 artists during the season, with overlaps. We also have repeat artists.

Just committed to good reporting.

Important glimpse at potential synergy between art and science that needs to be more widely understood.

Do you have a data center metric and source you would recommend?

Capturing the melting of glaciers, with data and art For more than 40 years, glaciologist Mauri Pelto has been measuring the shrinking glaciers in the rugged North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. He's been joined by his daughter, artist-scientist...

CBS Sunday morning feature on the work of @jillpelto.bsky.social and I

www.cbsnews.com/video/captur...

What data do you have that art could help relay?

@cbsnews.com joined us in the field over two days in early August working on Sholes Glacier. This morning this story is featured. #glaciology
www.cbsnews.com/news/this-we...

The annual and cumulative mass balance of glaciers illustrates the acceleration of loss and that glaciers are in disequilibrium with present climate.

State of the Climate An international, peer-reviewed publication released each summer, the State of the Climate is the authoritative annual summary of the global climate published as a supplement to the Bulletin of the Am...

BAMS State of the Climate 2024 is out. Alpine Glacier section that I author notes "In 2024, all 58 global reference glaciers reported a negative annual mass balance. This is only the second year in the 1970–2024 period with all negative annual balances, following 2023." #glaciology